>>>Hi Denis, thanks for that. He did know about Khan Academy but was not aware it had Python tutorials. He is going to check it out.
>>>
>>>Can anyone remember what John Fabiani was using, the Python variation and I think he was using a framework.
>>
>>The fwk is Dabo. There is a Python for kids book - unsure what exactly your son is loking for...
>
>Yes, that was the name, thanks. My son is just experimenting, teaching himself a bit. I think developing software is interesting to him, not as a career but simply as a useful skill to have. I'm suggesting to go after a language which has very wide universal acceptance and can lead him onto C/C++ and the various variations.


I haven't written a lot of Python code, but the code I have written does a lot. I hooked a bunch 6 USB mics to a laptop and monitored their input, change a tile on the screen a different color in response to the volume levels. The idea is to run it on a Raspberry Pi and an LED light / glass sculpture or chandelier.

It's about 60 lines of code.

**EDIT

Actually, it's 48. This reads the audio and opens a colored window for each mic:

import alsaaudio, time, audioop
from Tkinter import *

cards = alsaaudio.cards()
print cards

# the first card is internal Intel
# we need the rest

mics = []
windows = []

for i in range(len(cards) - 1):
    root = Tk()
    #    root.minsize(605,355)
    root.minsize(405,255)
    windows.append(root)
    
    inp  = alsaaudio.PCM(alsaaudio.PCM_CAPTURE, alsaaudio.PCM_NONBLOCK, "hw:CARD=" + cards[1 + i])
    
    inp.setchannels(1)
    inp.setrate(8000)
    inp.setformat(alsaaudio.PCM_FORMAT_S16_LE)
    inp.setperiodsize(160)
    
    mics.append(inp)

ratio = 4

while True:

    for i in range(len(mics)):
        l,data = mics[i].read()
        if l:
            red1 = audioop.max(data, 2)
            if i == 1:
                mycolor = '#%02x%02x%02x' % (0, min(red1/ ratio, 255), 0)
            elif i == 2:
                mycolor = '#%02x%02x%02x' % (0, 0, min(red1/ ratio, 255))
            elif i == 3:
                mycolor = '#%02x%02x%02x' % (min(red1/ ratio, 255), min(red1/ ratio, 255), 0)
            else:
                mycolor = '#%02x%02x%02x' % (min(red1/ ratio, 255), 0, 0)
            
            windows[i].configure(bg=mycolor)
            windows[i].update()

    time.sleep(.001)

You just go downloading different modules for something like that. A lot is in the standard library, but so much more is available too.

I volunteer to video Python conferences with former Foxer Carl Karsten and we recorded this one in Germany last fall:

http://www.pyvideo.org/video/2384/python-einsteiger-programmierwettbewerb

Skip to about 17 minutes.

It's a 13 kid demonstrating his 3D poker game.

I think PyMove3D is the module (library you download ).

There's pygame too (if memory serves) and various others.


I would throw out, though, that JavaScript is easier to get into.

Make a htm file.

Open a browser. Go.

And it's easier to show off.

If he can make things he's shows his friends and they can use in their browser, that might be more exciting.