Learning Python: Child's Play with RUR-PLE!

Learning to program computers should be fun, for adults and children alike. RUR-PLE is an environment designed to help you learn computer programming using the language Python. Within an artificial world in which a robot can be programmed to perform various tasks, you will learn what it means to write a computer program, using Python's syntax. You will also be able to apply your programming skills in a more traditional environment using the built-in interpreter. If these words don't mean much to you for now, don't worry.

While learning to program can be fun, it does require some work on your part. I will be your guide, so that you can learn on your own; however, you will not learn if you do not write your own programs. This is important enough that you should take it as a rule to follow.

Rule # 1 Learning about computer programming is like learning to play a musical instrument: you have to do it, not simply read about it.

The second thing you need to know is the most important, best-kept secret for writing good computer programs.

Rule # 2 Write your computer programs to make them easy for people to read.

That's right, write your computer programs so that other people, just like you, would find them easy to read on their own. Yes, computer languages are designed to allow you to communicate with computers, just as human languages have evolved to allow humans to communicate with each other. But computer languages, which are much simpler than human languages, are often used by programmers to share their work with other programmers. Just as you can improve your English writing skills by reading well-written novels, you can improve your programming skills by reading well-written computer programs. However, you will still need to write your own programs to learn how to do it.

To get you started on writing computer programs, you will make a robot, named Reeborg, perform certain tasks on your computer screen. While doing so, you will learn universal programming concepts as well as the language named Python. Later on, we will move away from having Reeborg perform tasks, and learn to do other things using the computer.

Find out more about RUR-PLE including a summary of instructions as well as acknowledgements to various people.

List of lessons

The shape of things to come