Python for Kids, 2nd Edition

Download Chapter 8: HOW TO USE CLASSES AND OBJECTS

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Python is a powerful programming language that’s easy to learn and fun to use! But books about programming in Python can be dull and that’s no fun for anyone.

Python for Kids brings kids (and their parents) into the wonderful world of programming. Jason R. Briggs guides you through the basics, experimenting with unique (and hilarious) example programs featuring ravenous monsters, secret agents, thieving ravens, and more. New terms are defined; code is colored and explained; puzzles stretch the brain and strengthen understanding; and full-color illustrations keep you engaged throughout. 

By the end of the book, you’ll have programmed two games: a clone of the famous Pong, and “Mr. Stick Man Races for the Exit”—a platform game with jumps and animation.

This second edition is revised and updated to reflect Python 3 programming practices. There are new puzzles to inspire you and two new appendices to guide you through Python’s built-in modules and troubleshooting your code.

As you strike out on your programming adventure, you’ll learn how to:

• Use fundamental data structures like lists, tuples, and dictionaries  
• Organize and reuse your code with functions and modules
• Use control structures like loops and conditional statements 
• Draw shapes and patterns with Python’s turtle module
• Create games, animations, and other graphical wonders with tkinter

Why should serious adults have all the fun? Python for Kids is your ticket into the amazing world of computer programming.

Covers Python 3.x which runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, even Raspberry Pi

Jason R. Briggs has been a programmer since the age of eight, when he first learned BASIC on a Radio Shack TRS-80. Since then he has written software professionally as a developer and systems architect and served as Contributing Editor for Java Developer's Journal. His articles have appeared in JavaWorld, ONJava and ONLamp.

Introduction
Part I: Learning to Program
Chapter 1: Not All Snakes Slither
Chapter 2: Calculations and Variables
Chapter 3: Strings, Lists, Tuples, and Dictionaries
Chapter 4: Drawing with Turtles
Chapter 5: Asking Questions with if and else
Chapter 6: Going Loopy
Chapter 7: Recycling Your Code with Functions and Modules
Chapter 8: How to Use Classes and Objects
Chapter 9: More Turtle Graphics
Chapter 10: Using tkinter for Better Graphics
Part II: Bounce
Chapter 11: Beginning Your First Game: Bounce!
Chapter 12: Finishing Your First Game: Bounce!
Part III: Mr. Stickman Races for the Exit
Chapter 13: Creating Graphics for the Mr. Stickman Game
Chapter 14: Developing the Mr. Stickman Game
Chapter 15: Creating Mr. Stickman
Chapter 16: Completing the Mr. Stickman Game
Afterword
Appendix A: Python Keywords
Appendix B: Python's Built-in Functions
Appendix C: Troubleshooting

“If you’re completely new to programming, this would be a fantastic book to get started with.”
—The Security Noob

"A book designed to bring coding with Python to life for kids. . . . Briggs breaks down terminology into simple terms and offers explanations for what your child will be doing [to] help them apply their skills to real-life situations."
—Amy Boyington, Parenting and Family Lifestyle Writer

"Fun and effective, [Python for Kids] is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family, middle school, high school, and community library Computer instructional reference collections."
—Midwest Book Review

Reviews of the first edition:

"An excellent introduction to programming for anyone interested in learning to program, regardless of their age. The material is extremely well organized and presented, and makes for a great resource for either home or school." 
—Roy Wood, GeekDad

"Jason Briggs manages to successfully describe programming to kids without sounding like he’s dumbing down the content. . . . The lessons are well-constructed and leave the reader with a feeling of accomplishment in each chapter."
—Marziah Karch, Wired.com's GeekMom blog (Read More)

"This book offers a good introduction to computer programming. . . . Using Python for Kids to learn this skill would be an excellent family bonding experience, and the added perk of jointly creating a computer game wouldn't hurt."
—Patrice Gans, Education Week's BookMarks blog (Read More)

"Easy to read, provides sound programming advice and very clear explanations of how programming languages work. A great book for anyone who wants to break into programming without pangs of inadequacy."
—Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld (Read More)

"The use of colorized text in this book makes the material so much easier to comprehend and read . . . I am now generally conversant with the basic tools used in Python."
—Phil Shapiro, Opensource.com (Read More)

"The book is well-written, engaging, and full of simple words for simple people like me. . . There's nothing quite like seeing the simple lines of code create something on the screen and knowing how and why it happened."
—Copil Yáňez, Full Circle Magazine

"The book is engaging and full of colors to keep young readers engaged in their programming adventures . . . I recommend this book to both kids and new users who wish to learn Python."
—nixCraft (Read More)

"The nice, easy to read style of the book that keeps to a gamification style of programming throughout will certainly appeal to youngsters."
—Carl Turland, Coding at School (Read More)

"A step-by-step guide that is equal parts serious coding instructions and light-hearted jokes and project instructions. Aimed at expanding the horizons of each student."
—Scholastic's Tech Tools blog (Read More)

"The author’s writing style and the cute little cartoon character illustrations scattered throughout the book made it much less 'dry' than a typical computer programming guide."
—Dana Hinders, Smart Mom Picks (Read More)

"Whoever you are, if you're looking for an in-depth yet very accessible approach to learning to program, Python for Kids offers a whole lot of knowledge in a step-by-step way that will have you writing code in no time at all."
—Amy Nelson, Games Fiends (Read More)

“If you haven’t programmed before and want to give it a try, I highly recommend this book.”
—C# Helper

"Despite the title, a fun book for all ages. The provides a clear, easy to follow, introduction to python programming. The content is easy to understand, the examples are clearly illustrated and straightforward."
—Technical YA, Best Books to Learn Python Language in 2021

Visit the author's website for resources for the first and second editions.

Download the solutions to programming puzzles (PDF)