[nfbcs] Question about learning python

[Bryan Duarte]

Hello again Debee,

Like I said in the last email, it really depends on what you want to do. Java would be a good option if you are looking to develop Android applications. Python is a great option for scripting, networking, and lots of other applications which there are most likely third party libraries to help you do. When you figure out what you would like to do more you would be better prepared to make your decision. 

As for Python 3 being inaccessible and Python 2 working with a screen reader I am a little confused. Python is a software language so there is not really any accessibility associated with the language. If they are talking about IDLE or some IDE's for Python I can see that but honestly I am unsure what your friends mean about Python being inaccessible. 

I personally use Python 2.7 myself but mostly because it is very stable and seems to be the version that most libraries I use were built in. In Python 3 and later things were changed a little bit but just enough to break Python 2.7 code. If you do go with Python 2 or 3 there are some cool tools available that I use which will auto indent your code and help you to convert from Python 2 to Python 3 if that should be the need. Since you are new to Python you should not need the latter. 

To give a little opinion here, Java would be good to learn for the purposes of using an IDE, using data structures which are used very heavily in industry settings, and for a well documented language. Python would be a good option for solving a problem very quickly. There are lots of libraries out there for pretty much anything you might be looking for and since it is open source you can develop your own libraries if you want. Python is also fun to use because it is powerful in ways that only Python can be with its list comprehensions, and unique ways of using its syntax. 

Go Devils!

Bryan Duarte software engineer
ASU Computer Science Ph.D candidate
QwikEyes CEO http://www.qwikeyes.com/ <http://www.qwikeyes.com/> 

“let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, all things are passing away: God never changes. patience obtains all things. whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”
-- St. Teresa of Avila

> On Jul 13, 2016, at 8:03 AM, Deborah Armstrong via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Trying to decide if I want to learn Python or Java. If I knew Java I could maybe write some Android apps; if I knew Python I could write some NVDA scripts.
> 
> I know how to program already, but mnost of the work I've done is with scripting languages. I prefer to take a course, though I've learned languages on my own before.
> 
> My issue with Python is the that it uses indents to end and begin blocks of code, and thank goodness I have Ed Sharp, (it appears you can no longer download it.) Is that a problem with screen reader users, to constantly remember to indent or outdent? Typically when I code say in C, I run everything through a pretty-printer to make sure my indents are readable. When I use Braille I like having indentation; when I use a screen reader I don't care. So I usually just type out code, with lots of comments but no indentation. Then I  use the pretty-printer and then read slowly through it with Braille.
> 
> Anyway, the other issue is that several friends have said Python 3 is inaccessible and Python 2 is much better with screen readers. However, every modern course I can take seems to require Python 3. Is this just an issue with the IDE and can I skip using an IDE if I don't want to?
> 
> I know Linux and Windows; any thoughts would be appreciated.
> 
> --Debee
> 
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