Boston Python Workshop 5/Staff notes

Lecture outline
review Friday material lists loops and more flow control: for, while, break dictionaries modules
 * math
 * type
 * variables
 * strings
 * booleans
 * if/elif/else
 * functions
 * why use them
 * initialization
 * type review
 * len review
 * accessing elements
 * adding elements
 * changing elements
 * slicing lists
 * strings are like lists
 * for loops
 * range
 * if statements inside for loops
 * for loops inside for loops
 * while loops
 * infinite loop
 * break
 * if statements inside while loops
 * raw_input
 * why use them, key constraint
 * initialization
 * adding elements
 * accessing elements
 * changing elements
 * keys and values
 * why modules
 * len and type are built in
 * imports
 * import random
 * random.randint
 * random.choice
 * ColorWall example
 * state_capitals.py

Where state_capitals.py from http://mit.edu/jesstess/www/BostonPythonWorkshop5/state_capitals.py is the grand finale and synthesis of lecture material.

ColorWall

 * 1) Review relevant material from lecture (e.g. dictionaries)
 * 2) Go over SolidColorTest and DictionaryTest in effects.py as a class
 * 3) Have students implement RainbowTest

If people finish (3) early, have them tweak existing effects or write a new one. Example tweaks including:
 * changing the hue bounds in Twinkle
 * change the math in Checkerboards
 * write and customize (e.g. colors) your own message in Message

Twitter

 * 1) Review relevant material from lecture (e.g. modules and imports)
 * 2) Go over search and trendingTopics in twitter_functions.py as a class
 * 3) Have students implement userTweets

If people finish (3) early, have them implement trendingTweets or customize the display of individual tweets displayed by search (e.g. display the sender).

Wordplay

 * 1) Review relevant material from lecture (e.g. for loops)
 * 2) Go over words1.py through words6.py as a class
 * 3) Demo scrabble_cheater.py
 * 4) Have students explore other interesting word properties or play with scrabble_cheater.py (we've had people start Words With Friends games and cheat using the script)