[TriLUG] Teaching Kids to Program

[Joseph S. Tate via TriLUG]

Sorry I'm so late at jumping in here:

Python IDEs:

Most of my developer colleagues who use IDEs use pycharm. It has a free
community edition. I've used it, and it's pretty easy to get started on.

Eclipse has a decent Python plugin system, but unless you use the Aptana
Python distribution, is hard to set up. It's very hard to keep up to date
if you're not using it every day.

The IDLE IDE that ships with python is a great starter IDE.

KDevelop has some support for python.

Qt has embraced python with it's QML widgeting/layout system, so the Qt IDE
might be a good way to get new developers building desktop and mobile apps,
though I found it pretty obtuse, even as an experienced developer, to pick
up.

Personally, I think every programmer should learn:
1) a procedural language
2) an object oriented language (inherited or prototypical)
3) a functional language

and optionally

4) A rule processing language (like Prolog)

Python can actually do all of these things if you try hard enough. 1 and 2
are natural, 3 is natural if you work at it, and 4 is available through at
least one library.

On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 10:46 AM Ken MacKenzie via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org>
wrote:

> So if you were going to teach your kids some starter programming, what
> language and/or ide would you use?
>
> The oldest 2 *ages 9 and 10 are the two I am targeting at the moment.  And
> before anyone gets into the ide or not to ide thing, the reason I mention
> that is even though I am a person who will still do a web page in vim I do
> appreciate what an ide for creating a GUI can bring to the table,
> especially when learning.
>
> So for languages that offer good starting points I was thinking one of the
> following:
>
> FreeBasic
> Logo (I am assuming there has to be some Logo implementation on Linux)
> Python
> Golang (probably not a good first choice but I do a lot in Go lately so we
> can "learn together"
>
> I think I am leaning towards python, I think one of the things that makes
> me lean towards that is libraries like pygame which I think if they take to
> this will be right up their alley.
>
> If it matters the computer's in question are running either Mint 17 or
> Debian Jessie.  I am kind of halfway between the migration of moving Mint
> out in favor of Jessie in the house.
>
> Ken
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