Further Reading: Intermediate Python Resources
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
You're no longer a complete beginner and would like to know where to go next.
3rd Edition of "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" Released
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
The 3rd edition of "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" is now available.
Translate Your Python 3 Program with the gettext Module
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
You've written a Python 3 program and want to make it available in other languages. You could duplicate the entire code-base, then go painstakingly through each .py file and replace any text strings you find. Fortunately, Python provides a solution with the gettext module.
Programming a Bot to Play the "Sushi Go Round" Flash Game
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
This tutorial teaches how to write a bot that can automatically play the Flash game Sushi Go Round. The concepts in this tutorial can be applied to make bots that play other games as well.
Making a Text Adventure Game with the cmd and textwrap Python Modules
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
Text adventures are an old game genre where the entire world is textually described as a series of rooms. Play involves entering simple text commands such as "move north" or "eat pie". Each room in the game world has its own text description, items on the ground, and exits to adjacent rooms.
Announcing the "Invent with Python" Bookshelf
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
I've organized a large collection of free and non-free books on a new part of this site: The Invent with Python Bookshelf.
Why is Object-Oriented Programming Useful? (With a Role Playing Game Example)
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
This blog post is those still new to programming and have probably heard about "object-oriented programming", "OOP", "classes", "inheritance/encapsulation/polymorphism", and other computer science terms but still don't get what exactly OOP is used for. In this post I'll explain why OOP is used and how it makes coding easier.
IDLE Reimagined
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
IDLE Reimagined is the project name for a redesign for Python's default IDLE editor with focus as an educational tool. IDLE's chief utility is that it comes installed with Python, making it simple for newbies to start programming. But professional software developers don't use IDLE as their IDE. Instead of turning IDLE into a sophisticated IDE for professional software developers, it can be tooled with features specifically to make it friendly to those learning to program.
No, Seriously, Why Should I Learn to Code?
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
The geeks have inherited the earth. A couple decades ago if you talked with friends in a chat room, you were cast as a socially-awkward nerd. Doing the same today just means you're a typical Facebook user. Broadband Internet connections and smartphones have taken the Information Age that technically started in the 1970s with PCs and pushed it into daily mainstream life.
Don't get me wrong: You should learn to program. But lost in this hype is a plainspoken reason: NO, SERIOUSLY, WHY SHOULD I LEARN TO CODE?
"Let's Create Software" Tutorial: Bus Routes Overlaid on Google Maps
Posted by Al Sweigart in misc
I had the idea to use Google Maps' API to draw out a map of all the Muni routes. This would have the benefit of the system map PDF but also be easier to load and navigate. I have no experience using the Google Maps API and am vaguely aware that there's public data about Muni bus routes, but I'll learn along the way.