Young Programmers Podcast

A look at how to, and why you should, use functions in your Python programs.

We enhance the quiz program by reading the questions and answers from a file. Source code

Let’s look at two very nice features of Tynker. The physics feature allows you to have falling objects and accurate projectile motion, combined with adjustments for gravity, friction, density, gravity, and much more. Cloning lets you have multiple instances of actors (like Scratch sprites), without having to duplicate code.

This lesson creates a simple calculator using a dictionary to look up functions for operators. The point is to practice more with dictionaries, and to learn about higher-order functions.Source code

Showing how to create multiple turtles in Kojo, and make them wander around. Uses Scala features map and foreach.

We show how to use Python's input function to get numbers, without the program breaking if something other than a number is entered.

How to make special sound effects using the free audio program Audacity. A small correction: I said that a 13-semitone change would move the pitch an octave, but it is actually 12. There are 12 different notes, and to move an octave you move 12 times to get back to the same note of the scale.

Carter Sande teaches how to use functions to a class at Diablo Valley College College for Kids. A couple of notes on this excellent presentation: At one point Carter says “brackets” when he means parentheses. And for style, I prefer spaces around operators, and whitespace around functions.

We add a feature limiting the number of times an event can occur.

A demonstration of Kojo's repeat, forward, right, def, setPosition, and setAnimationDelay commands used to draw random polygons.

Part Two. Using a package and classes, we move most of the game logic into a game "engine." Source code: https://github.com/dcbriccetti/python-lessons.

Using tuples and a dictionary, places and transitions, create a simple text adventure game. Source code.

Learn about lists, tuples, and shuffling lists, while writing a simple question and answer program. Source code. Video.

Hilary Mason of bit.ly talks about her work and how she got started with computers.

Googler, Python book author, and former College for Kids teacher Wesley Chun visits Dave Briccetti’s Python class by videoconferencing. He talks about learning Python and how it is used by Google.

Carter Sande, young coauthor of the Python book Hello World! - Computer Programming for Kids and Other Beginners, visits Dave Briccetti’s Python programming class for grades 7–9 at Pleasant Hill, CA’s Diablo Valley College College for Kids program, and delivers a guest lecture on random numbers.In another brief video, Dave Briccetti interviews Carter.

While out to lunch one day at the Java Posse Roundup, Peter Pilgrim showed me his ship landing game written in JavaFX.(Sorry about the blurry parts.)

Interviews about game development with Bay Area Video Game Development Meetup members at the January 19, 2010 meetup.Casey Holtz, group leaderTuri Scandurra, www.salvatorescandurra.comGreg Damiano, PlaydomSimon Amarasingham, dSonicJapheth Dillman, iJanda.net

Michael (Van) Van Riper, at a Silicon Valley Web Java User Group (see Joshua Bloch in the background) talks about programming.

Walkthrough of version 1 of the Invisible Player Escapes Maze game in Pygame.Source code

Escape the maze. You are invisible, and so are all the obstacles unless they are close to you. Illustrates use of the ghost effect, and broadcast. http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/davebric/818925

Escape the maze before you grow too big. Illustrates use of the timer, and “if touching color.” The Scratch project is here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/davebric/818258

A very quick look at version 2 of our Jython implementation of Conway’s Game of Life. Source code