How long to become proficient in Python

Deals with using and making modules and other resources
Post Reply
epement
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:00 pm
Location: Florida
Contact:

How long to become proficient in Python

Post by epement »

Question for Tim,

How long did it take you learning and using Python to be come proficient enough to write Bible Analyzer in Python?

Do you work as a Python programmer outside of Bible Analyzer? If yes, what kind of programs or programming do you do?

Kind regards,
Eric Pement
2 Cor. 4:5

Tim
Site Admin
Posts: 1454
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 1:14 pm

Re: How long to become proficient in Python

Post by Tim »

Well, it has been a continuous learning process from the start. In 2003 I had no knowledge of coding or writing software but I did know a little about making HTML web pages. I wanted a way to automatically tag Bible references in pages and make them links. After some research trying to find a way to do it a programming brother recommended I look at Python because it works well at parsing text. That is how it started. Then Python was not as robust as it is now, but it was exactly what I needed. After getting some valuable help from a fellow on a Python forum, i was able to to get the ref. linker made. It has evolved into our PopVerse utility today. (However, PopVerse is now written in JavaScript.)

While making the linker I learned about Regular Expressions and learned how to search, parse, and otherwise manipulate and format text with them. REs are a very valuable tool to know and are used extensively in text parsing. If a person doesn't want to go the full coding route but still wants to work with text, learn REs. They can be found in the better text editors such as Notepad++.

Around 2005 after much trial and error I learned how to open and parse files, extract data, and display the results in a GUI; a very rudimentary Bible Analyzer was started. I was 45 years old. Really old for a "coder." It has been constant learning ever since. Building a Bible application is not one project, but a 1000 little project melded together into one unit. It takes a lot of thought and planning to build a comprehensive app of any kind, but anyone who is determined to do it can with persistence. As for myself, I am self taught and have an incompetent teacher, but the Lord has allowed me to produce Bible Analyzer, PopVerse, MyKJV, and some other Bible related apps not out yet. (I am finishing up a mobile, Android Bible app written in Python/Kivy for another project.)

As to your question, when does one become proficient enough to build a program like Bible Analyzer? That depends on which version of Bible Analyzer one means. It took me 15 years to get the Bible Analyzer 5.5 which will soon come out, but only a few months to produce Bible Analyzer v1 in 2005. Sometimes I look at some of the old code that is still in Bible Analyzer and think what ignorant "dummy" wrote that sloppy code. But that is part of the process. learn, adapt, improvise.

Knowing what I know now, it would probably take the better part of two years to make Bible Analyzer again from scratch. It has many, many 1000s of lines of code. But for anyone that is interested and driven to learn, just do it. There are more resources available to learn from every day. Now there are videos that teach important coding concepts that were not available in 2003. Once one gets his head around how languages work and learns the syntax, it will be much easier.

I am 61 years old now and can't see as well as I used to. The Lord needs some younger believers willing to learn how to code and distribute His word via software. There are not very many and the potentials are huge.

As for coding outside of Bible Analyzer or Bible related software, no I don't and have no desire to. My passion is Bible related software. Apart from that I would not even code. I work an outside job that is not related to programming at all. Bible coding is my second "full-time" job.
Tim Morton
Developer, Bible Analyzer

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Rom 4:5 AV)

Post Reply