Python for Kids · A Playful Introduction to Programming by Briggs, Jason R. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Page Copyright Page Brief Contents Contents in Detail About the Author, Illustrator, and Technical Reviewers Acknowledgments Introduction

Why Python? How to Learn to Code Who Should Read This Book What’s in This Book The Companion Website Have Fun!

PART I: Learning to Program

1. Not All Snakes Slither

A Few Words About Language Installing Python

Installing Python on Windows 7 Installing Python on Mac OS X Installing Python on Ubuntu

Once You’ve Installed Python Saving Your Python Programs What You Learned

2. Calculations and Variables

Calculating with Python

Python Operators The Order of Operations

Variables Are Like Labels Using Variables What You Learned

3. Strings, Lists, Tuples, and Maps

Strings

Creating Strings Handling Problems with Strings Embedding Values in Strings Multiplying Strings

Lists Are More Powerful Than Strings

Adding Items to a List Removing Items from a List List Arithmetic

Tuples Python Maps Won’t Help You Find Your Way What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Favorites #2: Counting Combatants #3: Greetings!

4. Drawing with Turtles

Using Python’s turtle Module

Creating a Canvas Moving the Turtle

What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: A Rectangle #2: A Triangle #3: A Box Without Corners

5. Asking Questions with If and Else

if Statements

A Block Is a Group of Programming Statements Conditions Help Us Compare Things

if-then-else Statements if and elif Statements Combining Conditions Variables with No Value—None The Difference Between Strings and Numbers What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Are You Rich? #2: Twinkies! #3: Just the Right Number #4: I Can Fight Those Ninjas

6. Going Loopy

Using for Loops While We’re Talking About Looping What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: The Hello Loop #2: Even Numbers #3: My Five Favorite Ingredients #4: Your Weight on the Moon

7. Recycling Your Code with Functions and Modules

Using Functions

Parts of a Function Variables and Scope

Using Modules What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Basic Moon Weight Function #2: Moon Weight Function and Years #3: Moon Weight Program

8. How To Use Classes and Objects

Breaking Things into Classes

Children and Parents Adding Objects to Classes Defining Functions of Classes Adding Class Characteristics as Functions Why Use Classes and Objects? Objects and Classes in Pictures

Other Useful Features of Objects and Classes

Inherited Functions Functions Calling Other Functions

Initializing an Object What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: The Giraffe Shuffle #2: Turtle Pitchfork

9. Python’s Built-In Functions

Using Built-in Functions

The abs Function The bool Function The dir Function The eval Function The exec Function The float Function The int Function The len Function The max and min Functions The range Function The sum Function

Working with Files

Creating a Test File Opening a File in Python Writing to Files

What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Mystery Code #2: A Hidden Message #3: Copying a File

10. Useful Python Modules

Making Copies with the copy Module Keeping Track of Keywords with the keyword Module Getting Random Numbers with the random Module

Using randint to Pick a Random Number Using choice to Pick a Random Item from a List Using shuffle to Shuffle a List

Controlling the Shell with the sys Module

Exiting the Shell with the exit function Reading with the stdin Object Writing with the stdout Object Which Version of Python Am I Using?

Doing Time with the time Module

Converting a Date with asctime Getting the Date and Time with localtime Taking Some Time Off with sleep

Using the pickle Module to Save Information What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Copied Cars #2: Pickled Favorites

11. More Turtle Graphics

Starting with the Basic Square Drawing Stars Drawing a Car Coloring Things In

A Function to Draw a Filled Circle Creating Pure Black and White

A Square-Drawing Function Drawing Filled Squares Drawing Filled Stars What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Drawing an Octagon #2: Drawing a Filled Octagon #3: Another Star-Drawing Function

12. Using tkinter for Better Graphics

Creating a Clickable Button Using Named Parameters Creating a Canvas for Drawing Drawing Lines Drawing Boxes

Drawing a Lot of Rectangles Setting the Color

Drawing Arcs Drawing Polygons Displaying Text Displaying Images Creating Basic Animation Making an Object React to Something More Ways to Use the Identifier What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Fill the Screen with Triangles #2: The Moving Triangle #3: The Moving Photo

Part II: Bounce!

13. Beginning Your First Game: Bounce!

Whack the Bouncing Ball Creating the Game Canvas Creating the Ball Class Adding Some Action

Making the Ball Move Making the Ball Bounce Changing the Ball’s Starting Direction

What You Learned

14. Finishing Your First Game: Bounce!

Adding the Paddle

Making the Paddle Move Finding Out When the Ball Hits the Paddle

Adding an Element of Chance What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Delay the Game Start #2: A Proper “Game Over” #3: Accelerate the Ball #4: Record the Player’s Score

PART III: Mr. Stick Man Races for the Exit

15. Creating Graphics for the Mr. Stick Man Game

Mr. Stick Man Game Plan Getting GIMP Creating the Game Elements

Preparing a Transparent Image Drawing Mr. Stick Man Drawing the Platforms Drawing the Door Drawing the Background Transparency

What You Learned

16. Developing the Mr. Stick Man Game

Creating the Game Class

Setting the Window Title and Creating the Canvas Finishing the __init__ Function Creating the mainloop Function

Creating the Coords Class Checking for Collisions

Sprites Colliding Horizontally Sprites Colliding Vertically Putting It All Together: Our Final Collision-Detection Code

Creating the Sprite Class Adding the Platforms

Adding a Platform Object Adding a Bunch of Platforms

What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: Checkerboard #2: Two-Image Checkerboard #3: Bookshelf and Lamp

17. Creating Mr. Stick Man

Initializing the Stick Figure

Loading the Stick Figure Images Setting Up Variables Binding to Keys

Turning the Stick Figure Left and Right Making the Stick Figure Jump What We Have So Far What You Learned

18. Completing the Mr. Stick Man Game

Animating the Stick Figure

Creating the Animate Function Getting the Stick Figure’s Position Making the Stick Figure Move

Testing Our Stick Figure Sprite The Door!

Creating the DoorSprite Class Detecting the Door Adding the Door Object

The Final Game What You Learned Programming Puzzles

#1: “You Win!” #2: Animating the Door #3: Moving Platforms

Afterword: Where To Go From Here

Games and Graphics Programming

PyGame

Programming Languages

Java C/C++ C# PHP Objective-C Perl Ruby JavaScript

Final Words

Appendix: Python Keywords Index

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