Thomas Doggette's AT Journal

Starting points

2008-05-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_attractor
The Wikipedia page has the relevant equations defining what we need to do, as well as some fun images and graphs. Notably, there are also various links to implementations of the system using graphing software, Java applets, and so on. Nothing in Python, though.

http://www.pygame.org/project/617/
A simple implementation of gravity in PyGame. The equations aren't quite what we need, and the particles don't start with momentum, but it's something to build upon, and it's in the public domain.

http://www.mizuno.org/c/la/index.html
A C implementation with GNUPlot.

Other Thoughts: We were initially attracted to the Lorenz idea because it made pretty loops and illustrated chaos theory. We may very well wind up getting somewhere else once we start this project: a gravity well simulator, an abstract drawing tool, or something else along those lines. For now, we'll look at this straightforwardly, and write something toward our initial goal.

AP Final Project Proposal

2008-05-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Lorenz Butterflies in Python/Pygame

Thomas Doggette, Matt Yeatman

Goal: To create a two-dimensional, graphical representation of Lorenz attractors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_attractor) in Python. The end result would be an animated system with "gravity" and particles, like the applet example at http://www.exploratorium.edu/complexity/java/lorenz.html.

20 Feb 2008

2008-02-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Posted on the blog, discussed the API, got the latest version. The action is over on xoexperience.blogspot.com .

Thursday, February 14

2008-02-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

I've been reading through what little GASP documentation there is, and there a HUGE need for a solid chapter's worth of material targeted at students learning with Python. I think that that niche would best be filled by the gasp-games package and accompanying docs.

In addition to getting the gasp-games progression added to Pippy in the XO with comments that make it somewhat self-documenting, there should be a separate curriculum with the same code (or perhaps more examples-- I'm trying to contact the Pippy guy about how many examples can be added there) with a well-written text aimed at the CS 1 level programmer. Beyond that, I'd love to have an appendix of the entire GASP API, available on whatever the most appropriate site is for a CONSUMER of GASP.

Wednesday, February 13

2008-02-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

Obama wins three states in a landslide.

Upon further consideration, the first bit of GASP tutorial should be a circle on a background. Why go too slow?

Here's my thought:

from gasp import *

# open a graphics window the size of the XO's screen called "Circle" with a green background
begin_graphics(height=900, width=1200, title="Circle", background=color.green)
# make a red circle 10 pixels thick in the middle of the window
Circle( ( 600,450 ), 50, filled=False, color=color.red, thickness=10 )
# close the window -- ideally upon hitting escape. I need docs.
end_graphics()

Anyway, you get the idea. It's clean and simple.

Oh, and I updated my XO, so the wireless works. Also, the GASP branding will be as follows:
GASP: Snake in front of blue (!)
GASP-code: Snake in front of gear
GASP-games: Snake in front of soccer ball

Tuesday, February 12

2008-02-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

I voted!

Also, I discussed with Cooper and FFM the gasp-games package and Pippy, planning out the sequence of programs to teach GASP to people in Pippy. I need to talk to cjb, the Pippy guy.

Wednedsay, February 6

2008-02-06T07:09:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I've not been spending much time on my GASP/OLPC project. I have completed half of my A+ Certification, of course, and dropped some class time into Alan's laptop.

Thanks to slow internet, it will take THREE HOURS to download the update for my dear OLPC. I'm going to study for the A+ today. Overnight, I'll download the update on my own internet.

2008-01-29T07:50:00.000-08:00

I can use my XO to post things here. This is the first of many posts from the laptop.

Third Quarter Plan

2008-01-29T07:05:00.000-08:00

TITLE

GASP on the XO

DATE

January 30 to April 11, 2008

DESCRIPTION

Rewrite and package GASP to be fast and functional on the XO laptop.

GOALS

Have a usable and feature-complete product that works on the XO
Become proficient with Pygame, GASP, and the XO

RESOURCES

Matt Gallagher
David Cooper
Beginning Game Development with Python and Pygame
the existing GASP and Pygame code
My shiny shiny XO laptop
#pygame@irc.freenode.net
laptop.org

Second Quarter Assessment

2008-01-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

What I learned was mostly Plone administration. Where files are, how to make things work, settings fiddling, and so on. I'm now a moderately competent administrator, but not as good of a developer as I would have liked. Still, you can see what's been built at the site. It's perfectly functional; all it needs are new versions of the old content.

My plan was rather dependent on the site going into production at some point, after polish and content importing through part of the third quarter. I did get the site running very well, but I'm disappointed at the pointlessness, honestly. I also didn't do as much programming as I would have liked, mostly because of the switch from writing my own very basic web software to working with a monolithic piece of code like Plone.

It was a challenge to continue to make progress when the project was stalled due to server outages and so on. Plone, though, made a lot of the work very easy through being polished and easy to mold to my needs.

I do not plan to continue-- the site's not going up anyway, and I have a great opportunity to use Python and GASP on the XO, which is more like what I would rather be doing in this class.

Yes. In fact, much of what I've learned as applicable to running Emma Violand-Sanchez's site (though it's on Drupal), as well as other Plone and Zope apps in the future.

2007-12-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

YHS site is stalled until products are installed, likely by tomorrow.

In the meanwhile, I'm webmaster for Emma Violand-Sanhez's site, www.emmaforschoolboard.org . Check it out.

2007-12-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

All tabs that will be in the final site are up. Content is being added. I'm working on a way to batch-create accounts for teachers with the right privileges.

Firday's Progess

2007-11-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

Logo is UP. Tabs are being worked on. Teacher folders are UP, but I will need to write a script that automatically adds a placeholder page and sets it as the default view for the already automatically-created folders.

Update

2007-11-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Calendar works, home page works (built-in RSS for news!). The two main things left are skinning and implementing teacher pages and content. Honestly, that could well be the easy part.

Calendar woes

2007-11-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

I had trouble adding the new YHS calendar to the Plone site, and asked the mailing list for help.

The quarter so far

2007-11-16T07:15:00.001-08:00

Plone 3 is set up on maddog.yhspatriot.net:8080/Plone . You've got an account, boss. I'm working on getting you a folder that is your own domain, so you can play if you want to. I'm also working on finding a way to embed the GCal both into the page and into a "portlet" for the sidebar. Cox will have the tabs and banner soon, and I'll have the basic framework up soon, ready to start importing content and setting up accounts for everyone. Administrators and people in charge of the site will have full admin accounts, and teachers will be able to publish within their folders, and submit things for publication (pending approval) outside. Ideally, Gallagher will have the mail server up by the time I get to that, and we can send them all to the Google account, which can then be set up to forward to whoever's baby this site is going to be when it's up. The Google account is "yhspatriot"

First Quarter Summary

2007-11-05T07:04:00.001-08:00

Okay, it's been interesting. I started off with basic web programming in Python, but I was convinced by people that know things about web programming was way better in Pylons, then Zope, then Plone, and then, hey, we've been meaning to redesign the website in Plone, and since you're working on it anyway...

So maybe I got a little more involved then I initially planned. I did succeed in learning more Python, especially about the web, and I've started to get better with Zope and Plone. Honestly, there's not much in the way of tech demos, short of a basic Plone site that needs add-ons and that nifty little blog script you saw back before it was abandoned in the dust of more pressing things.

Wednesday

2007-10-24T07:33:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't been journalling every day, but slow and steady progress is being made. Gallagher is installing the products I need, and I've disabled registrations.

Progress

2007-10-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

The site is up on 8081, and all of the pages are there. All that's left is content and appearance. Heck, that's hardly anything!

TO DO

move content over from the "real" site

remove everything that will only get in the way, mostly login and registration stuff-- whoever needs an account can get it through the webmaster

add products for necessary functionality, like a calendar

redo Cox's design for Plone and put that on

And we're up!

2007-10-18T06:59:00.001-07:00

http://yhspatriot.net:8081/yhsplone

That's the URL for the new version of the YHS web site, remade in Plone. Yes, I know it looks like a default Plone site, but underneath the surface is a lot of potential. More coming-- watch the site develop!

2007-10-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

I know what this looks like. I swear, it's not what it looks like! Even when I've been ill, I've been Ploning around. I got an account on Freeplone, so I've got something to play with. Still nothing productive on the software front, but I've been mapping out a better yhspatriot. It's a profoundly broken site in terms of navigation. I want to heal it. I'm going to be harassing Gallagher to get plone.yhspatriot.net up.

Monday

2007-10-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

Field trip Wednesday. Sick Thursday-Friday. I'm planning on kicking ass this week to make up for it.

Tuesday

2007-10-02T07:50:00.001-07:00

Installed Plone.

Monday, October 1

2007-10-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

Gutsy failed to install. Downloaded different version.

Planned development of Intro to IT site (font and back ends) with David Cox. The general idea at this point is a basically two-part site with a Plone backend-- the curriculum (a wiki?) and the student sites, which I've already discussed and shown a mockup for.

Friday in Class

2007-09-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

You know what I did in class today-- Soon, I will have my very own Plone to play with on yhspatriot. I've also been reading through tutorials and sketching things to implement when I do have something to work with.

I'll be ordering a book on Plone soon.

Friday Morning

2007-09-28T04:07:00.000-07:00

I've updated my first quarter plan to reflect my new goals. You can find it here.

Thursday

2007-09-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

Guess what? Another platform change. Plone. Woo.

Okay, it's installed, and I'm beginning to think that it, like all of the other options, are excessive for my needs. Essentially, the DogBlog project has been forcibly shoved to second place in the list of objectives-- Priority A is to learn Plone.

Okay, it's up and running-- The mission is to get DogBlog running AS PART OF A SITE. With content. Also: get on the zpug list.

Wednesday, September 26

2007-09-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

I installed Pylons and I LOVE it. It gives sensible, pretty error messages, and makes things simple. There are still things to work through, but I could have DogBlog UP ON A SERVER (finally) by the end of the week.

Tuesday

2007-09-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

"[#python.web] READ THIS FIRST: Can't get into #python? Read < http://freenode.net/faq.shtml#nicksetup >. Got a web programming question? Ask it, and stick around for the answer; usual wait time is up to an hour. If your question is about mod_python, our advice is: Don't use mod_python, use Pylons."

dogblog.py is wonderful. It does exactly what it needs to. Progress today. CSS tightened up a bit. Will start implementing layout and other listed features as soon as I have Pylons running. How hard can it be, right?

Monday-- Progress so far + Plans

2007-09-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

The current status of DogBlog is still at the level of the tech demo I showed you: It takes input, makes a file, and reads that file, putting the header and posts on the page in the correct order. They're all in divs, so it's easily skinnable (though currently ugly as all hell). This is the basic framework, and it's working perfectly.

Due to mandatory meeting and illness, I've been held up getting Apache running. Today, (knock on wood) it will be up, with mod_python handing publishing of posts. When it's functional, the next steps are:

- Combining all the Python into one dogblog.py and interlinking all of the functions so that it works automatically whenever a new post is added or settings are changed. Comment thoroughly.

- Making config.txt do something. It can just be a switch as to where the header is found or something, but what's important is that it can contain variables that the main program can use.

- Make the XHTML output pretty and nested, not just valid.

- Adding login, archive, and RSS support, not necessarily in that order.

- Add a sidebar!!! This can contain the rss.xml link, the archive list, and so on.

- Multi-page main page, with user-changable cutoff.

- Web-editable EVERYTHING-- posts, settings, header, format, CSS.

- Comments?

Wednesday and Thursday (and Friday)

2007-09-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was spent fighting with a broken Apache install and then installing Dapper on the local machine so that I have a server for testing. I'll avoid being optimistic, though-- it went downhill last time I did that.

Thursday was a senior meeting, so I wasn't in class.

Out sick Friday. Made devious plans about config.txt in between over-the-counter drugs and feverish naps. Plans turned out to be sound.

Tuesday, September 18

2007-09-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

Kept working on apache conf, getting dogblog linked to and set up with mod_python. Yelled at obnoxious classmated who kept UNPLUGGING MY KEYBOARD and making LOUD NOISES.

Monday, September 17

2007-09-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Got apache up and configured on the local machine-- tomorrow, it will be properly running DogBlog!

Friday, September 14

2007-09-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

IT WORKS. Display.py iterates and displays in the right order and everything! All that's left is the gravy, like usability and RSS and so on. IT WORKS!

Thursday, September 13

2007-09-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday was very productive: post.py now can accept and create post and time data, and output it to a file. Display.py can now add to main.html. You saw, it's cool.

Friday, today, I will be getting it to iterate through alh the posts (and header.txt) and display them properly, or at lest in order.

Wednesday

2007-09-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Damn, was this unproductive. I spent my time getting an account on the local machine, getting Apache set up, and transferring files to the new instance.

New goal: working demo by the end of the week that does this:

newpost.html should send data to post.py, which should output the XHTML to [timestamp].txt in posts/. Next week, maybe I'll have display.py displaying posts in main.html.

Week after, archives, which, ideally, would be a list of titles and timestamps in the right order in archive.txt that can be displayed in main.html on the sidebar.

Then, in no particular order: configuration, possibly editable from the web GUI. Multiple stylesheet support, definitely from web GUI. Actual secure login. Multiple user support. Comments?

Also, in the foggy and distant future, Zope.

Tuesday, September 11

2007-09-11T06:54:00.001-07:00

Senior meeting today, so I've pretty much only got time for this. My apologies. Progress tomorrow.

Monday, September 10

2007-09-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I got post.py accepting test input, but not writing to the file yet. It's five minutes away, but I ran out of class time. Will update this evening. When that's working, I will have a post file for display.py to read.

UPDATE 7PM: Takes input, makes output, writes output to file. This is good. Tomorrow: Take file, display it. Also: Take text, make input, give to post.py. When this cycle is complete, so will be my base. Ideally, by the end of the week. (Knock on wood.)

Our Story So Far

2007-09-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the first week of school is over. So far, my progress in Advanced topics has been:

Choosing a topic and getting it approved

Creating a Launchpad account for my project (DogBlog)

Adding blueprints to that account summarizing my goals for the project

Starting work on the posting mechanism for the blog platform

Starting work on the display mechanism for the platform

Creating a journal for documentation of my progress

Links:
My AT Homepage
Launchpad Project