Universal Rule

Book Reviews

Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Object-oriented problem-solving with Python -- Comment()
I polished a bit my Python code for solving the Einstein's Riddle. I wrote a four-page article in Finnish on this problem using the title object-oriented problem-solving with Python. Two colleagues read the article, with encouraging comments. Not too bad for a beginning Python programmer. But on the other hand, my Python style is still fortranish, perhaps also because I'm a physicist by training.

I'm writing reviews of two Python books for a Finnish IT magazine to introduce Python to a larger audience in Finland. The books I selected are Practical Python and Python in a Nutshell. Furthermore, Apress promised to send a review copy of Dive into Python, when the book appears in August. Thus I can make a follow-up Python book review for another issue of the magazine.

One thing which I have been thinking about is what would be the best Python tool for making high-quality (2D) graphical illustrations. Vector graphics would be preferred, and the possibility to print or to save in PDF format the graphics shown on screen. An example of what I'm thinking about is the illustration on the cover of my Fortran 90/95 textbook (see below).

Update: I managed to do what I wanted in Python. I used Tkinter and the graphics.py module. Thus I can view the picture on screen and get a printout in PostScript. And I can use pstopdf to get a PDF picture. Here is an example, converted to jpg:

And here is the cover picture of my Fortran 90/95 textbook:

Update: There is a recipe for making mazes on the net. (Output in HTML table format is a nice idea.) The algorithm looks similar to mine, but the implementation is different. Probably these both are based on the same original source. Mine was originally based on a Pascal version, which I then implemented in Fortran 90/95 for my textbook, and now converted to Python.

A column on security and privacy -- Comment()
I wrote a column for a Finnish IT magazine, discussing the history of computer security (and cryptography), writing a few notes about privacy and copyrights (including Creative Commons). In the column I pointed to Alan Turing, who was instrumental in the British war effort by helping to break the German Enigma messages. At the same time, the British code-breaking machine Colossus was paving the way for the modern computer. In fact, Colossus was recently re-built for commemorating the D-Day.

Reviewing Office 2004 for Mac -- Comment()
Mac users now have an Office suite equal to Windows': "Microsoft software remains an important part of the Mac ecosystem. Microsoft's latest effort for the Mac, Office 2004, could even persuade some corporate technology managers to take a fresh look at Apple."

I wrote a one-page review of Office 2004 for a Finnish IT magazine. I was satisfied with Office, although there were no great improvements. The overall usability was about the same as previously, except that Word now can use filenames longer than 31 characters, and Finnish spelling is included. The transparent palettes were inconvenient. On the other hand, the Page Layout view in Excel, and the Presenter Tools in PowerPoint were nice additions. Usability of the e-mail program Entourage was improved. Entourage 2004 offers a lot of power and some new features, such as Notes. But in the end I decided not to change my mail program from Mail. Also, there are still some rough edges in Entourage, such as problems with AppleScript.

Conclusion: Office 2004 is about the same as Office v. X. But for Windows users this version definetely can help in the transition to Mac OS X.