changeset 2:58b61d4a9883

Added more stuff.
author Atul Varma <varmaa@toolness.com>
date Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:17:27 -0700
parents ea010fae8754
children bcc462f2f822
files PythonForJsProgrammers.txt
diffstat 1 files changed, 29 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-) [+]
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/PythonForJsProgrammers.txt	Thu Jun 05 15:04:18 2008 -0700
+++ b/PythonForJsProgrammers.txt	Thu Jun 05 15:17:27 2008 -0700
@@ -11,29 +11,14 @@
 
 .. _`borrowed directly from Python`: http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/roadmap/archives/2006/02/js_and_python_news.html
 
-Interactive Shell
-=================
-
-Python, when executed with no parameters, just presents an interactive
-shell.  It's similar to the SpiderMonkey shell and xpcshell if you're
-familiar with those.  The code examples in this tutorial will be
-displayed as though they're being executed in it, like so:
-
-    >>> 1 + 2
-    3
-    >>> # Here's a comment that does nothing.
-    >>> print "hi!"
-    hi!
-    >>> print "This is a long " \
-    ...       "statement that spans multiple lines."
-    This is a long statement that spans multiple lines.
-
-The shell is also a useful way to explore Python's functionality; feel
-free to just use it as a desk calculator to get used to it.
-
 Whitespace
 ==========
 
+This is coincidentally a good place to explain Python's design
+philosophy, so please bear with me here as I go off on a bit of a
+tangent--hopefully it will give you a better idea of whether this is a
+language you'd like to use.
+
 While not syntactically enforced by many languages, whitespace is
 semantically meaningful during the reading and writing of code.  Take
 the following example of C-like code::
@@ -90,9 +75,32 @@
 
 Also note that Python doesn't use semicolons, which is yet another
 language feature that reduces the cognitive burden on the programmer.
+Indeed, many of the language features covered below were designed with
+a very careful eye towards readability, reducing cognitive load, and
+making the process of programming as enjoyable as possible.
 
 .. _`Don't Repeat Yourself`: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_repeat_yourself
 
+The Interactive Shell
+=====================
+
+Python, when executed with no parameters, just presents an interactive
+shell.  It's similar to the SpiderMonkey shell and xpcshell if you're
+familiar with those.  The code examples in this tutorial will be
+displayed as though they're being executed in it, like so:
+
+    >>> 1 + 2
+    3
+    >>> # Here's a comment that does nothing.
+    >>> print "hi!"
+    hi!
+    >>> print "This is a long " \
+    ...       "statement that spans multiple lines."
+    This is a long statement that spans multiple lines.
+
+The shell is also a useful way to explore Python's functionality; feel
+free to just use it as a desk calculator to get used to it.
+
 Expressions
 ===========
 
@@ -129,7 +137,7 @@
 can only be used in statements in Python:
 
     >>> a = 5              # Assignment works in statements.
-    >>> a += 1             # Add-assignment works in statements.
+    >>> a += 1             # Add-assignment does too.
     6
 
     >>> if a = 1:          # But you can't assign in an expression.