How to Think Like a Computer Scientist Learning with Python
How to Think Like a Computer Scientist Learning with Python
How to Think Like a Computer Scientist Learning with Python Allen Downey Jeffrey Elkner Chris Meyers Green Tea Press Wellesley,Massachusetts
How to Think Like a Computer Scientist Learning with Python Allen Downey Jeffrey Elkner Chris Meyers Green Tea Press Wellesley, Massachusetts
Copyright C2002 Allen Downey,Jeffrey Elkner,and Chris Meyers. Edited by Shannon Turlington and Lisa Cutler.Cover design by Rebecca Gimenez. Printing history: April 2002:First edition. August 2008:Second printing. Green Tea Press 1 Grove St. P.O.Box812901 Wellesley,MA 02482 Permission is granted to copy,distribute,and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;with the Invariant Sections being"Foreword,""Preface," and "Contributor List,"with no Front-Cover Texts,and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the appendix entitled "GNU Free Documentation License." The GNU Free Documentation License is available from www.gnu.org or by writing to the Free Software Foundation,Inc.,59 Temple Place,Suite 330,Boston,MA 02111-1307, USA. The original form of this book is ITEX source code.Compiling this ITEX source has the effect of generating a device-independent representation of a textbook,which can be converted to other formats and printed. The IATEX source for this book is available from http://www.thinkpython.com Publisher's Cataloging-in-Publication (provided by Quality Books,Inc.) Downey,Allen How to think like a computer scientist learning with Python /Allen Downey,Jeffrey Elkner,Chris Meyers.-1st ed. p.cm. Includes index. ISBN0-9716775-0-6 LCCN2002100618 1.Python (Computer program language)I.Elkner, Jeffrey.II.Meyers,Chris.III.Title QA76.73.P98D692002 005.133 QBI02-200031
Copyright c 2002 Allen Downey, Jeffrey Elkner, and Chris Meyers. Edited by Shannon Turlington and Lisa Cutler. Cover design by Rebecca Gimenez. Printing history: April 2002: First edition. August 2008: Second printing. Green Tea Press 1 Grove St. P.O. Box 812901 Wellesley, MA 02482 Permission is granted to copy, distribute, and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the Invariant Sections being “Foreword,” “Preface,” and “Contributor List,” with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the appendix entitled “GNU Free Documentation License.” The GNU Free Documentation License is available from www.gnu.org or by writing to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA. The original form of this book is LATEX source code. Compiling this LATEX source has the effect of generating a device-independent representation of a textbook, which can be converted to other formats and printed. The LATEX source for this book is available from http://www.thinkpython.com Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication (provided by Quality Books, Inc.) Downey, Allen How to think like a computer scientist : learning with Python / Allen Downey, Jeffrey Elkner, Chris Meyers. – 1st ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-9716775-0-6 LCCN 2002100618 1. Python (Computer program language) I. Elkner, Jeffrey. II. Meyers, Chris. III. Title QA76.73.P98D69 2002 005.13’3 QBI02-200031
Foreword By David Beazley As an educator,researcher,and book author,I am delighted to see the completion of this book.Python is a fun and extremely easy-to-use programming language that has steadily gained in popularity over the last few years.Developed over ten years ago by Guido van Rossum,Python's simple syntax and overall feel is largely derived from ABC,a teaching language that was developed in the 1980's. However,Python was also created to solve real problems and it borrows a wide variety of features from programming languages such as C++,Java,Modula-3, and Scheme.Because of this,one of Python's most remarkable features is its broad appeal to professional software developers,scientists,researchers,artists, and educators. Despite Python's appeal to many different communities,you may still wonder "why Python?"or "why teach programming with Python?"Answering these questions is no simple task-especially when popular opinion is on the side of more masochistic alternatives such as C++and Java.However,I think the most direct answer is that programming in Python is simply a lot of fun and more productive. When I teach computer science courses,I want to cover important concepts in addition to making the material interesting and engaging to students.Unfortu- nately,there is a tendency for introductory programming courses to focus far too much attention on mathematical abstraction and for students to become frus- trated with annoying problems related to low-level details of syntax,compilation, and the enforcement of seemingly arcane rules.Although such abstraction and formalism is important to professional software engineers and students who plan to continue their study of computer science,taking such an approach in an intro- ductory course mostly succeeds in making computer science boring.When I teach a course,I don't want to have a room of uninspired students.I would much rather see them trying to solve interesting problems by exploring different ideas,taking unconventional approaches,breaking the rules,and learning from their mistakes
Foreword By David Beazley As an educator, researcher, and book author, I am delighted to see the completion of this book. Python is a fun and extremely easy-to-use programming language that has steadily gained in popularity over the last few years. Developed over ten years ago by Guido van Rossum, Python’s simple syntax and overall feel is largely derived from ABC, a teaching language that was developed in the 1980’s. However, Python was also created to solve real problems and it borrows a wide variety of features from programming languages such as C++, Java, Modula-3, and Scheme. Because of this, one of Python’s most remarkable features is its broad appeal to professional software developers, scientists, researchers, artists, and educators. Despite Python’s appeal to many different communities, you may still wonder “why Python?” or “why teach programming with Python?” Answering these questions is no simple task—especially when popular opinion is on the side of more masochistic alternatives such as C++ and Java. However, I think the most direct answer is that programming in Python is simply a lot of fun and more productive. When I teach computer science courses, I want to cover important concepts in addition to making the material interesting and engaging to students. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for introductory programming courses to focus far too much attention on mathematical abstraction and for students to become frustrated with annoying problems related to low-level details of syntax, compilation, and the enforcement of seemingly arcane rules. Although such abstraction and formalism is important to professional software engineers and students who plan to continue their study of computer science, taking such an approach in an introductory course mostly succeeds in making computer science boring. When I teach a course, I don’t want to have a room of uninspired students. I would much rather see them trying to solve interesting problems by exploring different ideas, taking unconventional approaches, breaking the rules, and learning from their mistakes
vi Foreword In doing so,I don't want to waste half of the semester trying to sort out obscure syntax problems,unintelligible compiler error messages,or the several hundred ways that a program might generate a general protection fault. One of the reasons why I like Python is that it provides a really nice balance between the practical and the conceptual.Since Python is interpreted,beginners can pick up the language and start doing neat things almost immediately with- out getting lost in the problems of compilation and linking.Furthermore,Python comes with a large library of modules that can be used to do all sorts of tasks rang- ing from web-programming to graphics.Having such a practical focus is a great way to engage students and it allows them to complete significant projects.How- ever,Python can also serve as an excellent foundation for introducing important computer science concepts.Since Python fully supports procedures and classes, students can be gradually introduced to topics such as procedural abstraction, data structures,and object-oriented programming-all of which are applicable to later courses on Java or C++.Python even borrows a number of features from functional programming languages and can be used to introduce concepts that would be covered in more detail in courses on Scheme and Lisp. In reading Jeffrey's preface,I am struck by his comments that Python allowed him to see a "higher level of success and a lower level of frustration"and that he was able to "move faster with better results."Although these comments refer to his introductory course,I sometimes use Python for these exact same reasons in advanced graduate level computer science courses at the University of Chicago. In these courses,I am constantly faced with the daunting task of covering a lot of difficult course material in a blistering nine week quarter.Although it is certainly possible for me to inflict a lot of pain and suffering by using a language like C++, I have often found this approach to be counterproductive-especially when the course is about a topic unrelated to just "programming."I find that using Python allows me to better focus on the actual topic at hand while allowing students to complete substantial class projects. Although Python is still a young and evolving language,I believe that it has a bright future in education.This book is an important step in that direction. David Beazley University of Chicago Author of the Python Essential Reference
vi Foreword In doing so, I don’t want to waste half of the semester trying to sort out obscure syntax problems, unintelligible compiler error messages, or the several hundred ways that a program might generate a general protection fault. One of the reasons why I like Python is that it provides a really nice balance between the practical and the conceptual. Since Python is interpreted, beginners can pick up the language and start doing neat things almost immediately without getting lost in the problems of compilation and linking. Furthermore, Python comes with a large library of modules that can be used to do all sorts of tasks ranging from web-programming to graphics. Having such a practical focus is a great way to engage students and it allows them to complete significant projects. However, Python can also serve as an excellent foundation for introducing important computer science concepts. Since Python fully supports procedures and classes, students can be gradually introduced to topics such as procedural abstraction, data structures, and object-oriented programming—all of which are applicable to later courses on Java or C++. Python even borrows a number of features from functional programming languages and can be used to introduce concepts that would be covered in more detail in courses on Scheme and Lisp. In reading Jeffrey’s preface, I am struck by his comments that Python allowed him to see a “higher level of success and a lower level of frustration” and that he was able to “move faster with better results.” Although these comments refer to his introductory course, I sometimes use Python for these exact same reasons in advanced graduate level computer science courses at the University of Chicago. In these courses, I am constantly faced with the daunting task of covering a lot of difficult course material in a blistering nine week quarter. Although it is certainly possible for me to inflict a lot of pain and suffering by using a language like C++, I have often found this approach to be counterproductive—especially when the course is about a topic unrelated to just “programming.” I find that using Python allows me to better focus on the actual topic at hand while allowing students to complete substantial class projects. Although Python is still a young and evolving language, I believe that it has a bright future in education. This book is an important step in that direction. David Beazley University of Chicago Author of the Python Essential Reference