[Fwd: learning progamming with Python]

[Jane Weideman]

Hi all,

Please read below.

Regards
JaneW

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: enrike <enrike at ixi-software.net>
To: janew at ubuntu.com
Subject: learning progamming with Python
Date: Sat, 02 Jul 2005 12:08:15 +0200

hi Jane,

My name is Enrike Hurtado, I am part of an independent HCI research 
project called ixi (www.ixi-software.net). I am writing you regarding 
the Edubuntu GNU/Linux distribution. A friend of mine who has attended 
the Edubuntu summit pointed me into your website as you might be 
interested on a software project i am developing.

Let me explain it briefly.
For the last year I have been developing a Python based framework to 
code ritch 2D graphics  applications/games/prototypes. It is based on 
PyOpenGL but also uses other libraries such as PIL, WxPython and Pygame. 
We started developing this as a tool  to produce prototypes for our own 
use in the ixi project. However being over the last couple of years more 
and more involved on teaching we thought this could be a great tool to 
teach programming multimedia and design students and we have been taking 
care of writing documentation and constructing it so that it is as easy 
as possible to use.

In the past we have been using propietary software to develop prototypes 
and to teach programming. We used Macromedia Director mainly. But we 
reached a point where we saw the need to more on into free software to 
be able to access a more flexible tool. For this took two directions: 
Processing (java based, from MIT) and Python+libraries. I am responsible 
for this second branch.

We thought that the current tools available in Python were too much 
focused on either games (like pygame) or application development 
(wxpython, pythoncard) and that we had the need for something more 'in 
between' were multimedia elements such as fast graphics, video, sound, 
etc... could be combined with GUI elements such as import dialogues, 
pulldown menus, etc... So we decided to create our own framework based 
on PyopenGL and wxPython and Pygame .

Thanks to a couple of research grants and the technical support of a 
university in UK, I could expend time ober the current year developing 
this idea and at the moment we just released the 0.2.5 release of our 
framework called Mirra. It is available for download from
http://www.ixi-software.net/content/body_software_mirra.html
and it is listed on the Python software repository at python.org

In ixi we are two people and we are both currently involved on PhD 
studies in two UK universities. As part of ixi we give several workshops 
per year where we introduce students to tools to program with graphics 
and sound (Pure Data, SuperCollider, Processing, Python, Director, 
Flash). We will be teaching now Mirra as we believe it can be a very 
nice tool to learn programing by manipulating graphics.

When we saw that you include drPython, pythoncard and pygame we thought 
that you might be interested on Mirra. I am not sure that it has reached 
the development point to be intereting enough for you but maybe in few 
months it will be as it is evolving pretty fast.

As for the future, I will be PhD student for the next 3 years at least 
and Mirra is a central point in my research as all prototypes will be 
built using it, so I have plan to develop to much further. Hopefuly soon 
some other people might join the development and this would speed up the 
process and quality of the programming/structure/documentation.

I hope this has been interesting for you. If you need any kind of info 
do not hesitate to contact me.
best,

-- 
JaneW
_____________
Jane Weideman
mobile: +27 83 779 7800
Canonical Ltd.