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Late to Python

 After several years of not programming much of anything, I have chosen to finally learn Python.

I tried half-heartedly a few years ago.  I wrongly understood it was like PHP and a natural for HTML.  I read a couple of cheat sheets and tried to make a go of it.

Sound torturous?  That is how I had to learned my first programming language, Radio Shack Level II BASIC back in 1979.  I had only a elementary manual on Level I, and then a command reference on Level II.  I head to reason out not only how each command worked, but why you would use it. 

I've used that method for most of the languages I have learned, which is why I have always been a hobbyist programmer, and not an especially productive one.

I soon learned with Python if I wanted to do websites, I needed to use Djanjo, a web library for Python.  Those who know Python and Djanjo are probably moaning right now.  Those two together are not a good first day in Python, yet that is what I tried to do.

This time, I started with a couple videos on YouTube and immediately saw how easy it was for basic things.  I was off to the races.

The project I started in 1980 on a Radio Shack Model I was basically an note taking application.  I actually developed it in various tools: BASIC, Dbase III, Visual Basic starting with version 3 and maybe before.  I went on to PERL and PHP.  I more or less stopped in 2008 when Evernote came out.  Evernote did what I had been envisioning far, far better.

I am back to envisioning my own note taking app. There are hundreds in the app stores. I recently reviewed a few of the major Evernote competitors and found them lacking.  

A note taking app is a fun type app for learning.  It can encompass a Windows client, a Mac client, a web client, a mobile client, a mobile web client, XML parsing, and database operations.  I'm not planning all those, but who knows?

Several predictions :

  • I will never finish it (why now after 40 years?)
  • If I do finish it, it won't be suitable for anyone else to use
  • It will never be as good as Evernote
  • I will learn a lot.
  • I will enjoy this.




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