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Assignment 3: A Pair of Psychedelic Functional Robotic Turtles
Learning Objectives
● Grow to appreciate pair programming a little more
● Continue practicing creating and using functions
● More practice on using the turtle library
● Learn about how computers represent colors
Pair Programming
Pair programming is an agile software development technique from industry in which two
programmers work as a pair together on one computer. The driver types code, while the other,
the navigator, reviews each line of code as it is typed. The two programmers converse
continually and switch roles frequently. It is what we want to aspire to practice in this course.
Instructions
Being this assignment by reading this research article from " The Costs and Benefits of Pair
Programming", by Alistair Cockburn and Laurie Williams.
After you have read the article, respond to the following prompts. You need write a paragraph of
3-5 sentences or more for each. The goal is that your response shows you have thought about
the article and added your own experience or insights to its ideas.
Which of the results from the article were the
most surprising to you? Why were you
surprised? What were your expectations?
Elaborate briefly.
1. I was surprised by the difference in
time vs. bugs and how large this
effect was. I knew that it would take
longer to make the code, but I didn’t
expect the amount of bugs reduced to
be as much as it was. I also didn’t
think that the price of decoding bugs
was so high.
Which of the costs and/or benefits mentioned
in the article, align with your experience in
class? Explain.
2. I definitely have experience with things
taking longer. However, I have noticed that
my code and other people’s code is generally
more sound. I also have learned a lot about
our specific tools that we are using from other
people.
In your work in class up to this point, do you
feel that you have been closer to practicing
"partner programming" or "pair programming"
(as they are described in the article) or have
you been somewhere in between? Explain.
3.It’s been sort of in-between. There are
times where one person or another is flying
through the code and it’s hard to keep up, so
there isn’t a whole lot of communication.
Other times, however, there is large amounts
of communication regarding design, and
ways to code a specific aspect of the overall
product.
Do you expect to change any of your
teamwork and pair-programming practices
after reading this article? Explain why or why
not.
4. I expect there to be more communication.
One of the biggest tips that I saw in the article
was the idea of thinking outloud. Before
someone even codes something, if they are
more vocal about what they are doing and
are about to do, it can lead to comments from
other people with suggestions on how the
design can be improved.
Turtle Houses, Animals, People
In T3, I gave you some examples of code that uses functions with the turtle library:
● turtle-multicolor-squares.py
● turtle-spiral-input.py
● Turtle-functions-house.py
○ Bricks.gif
○ deck.gif
○ Lighthouse.gif
Before moving on, review these examples and make sure you can read code with functions, and
follow the flow of execution. You’ll find many of the methods used in the examples helpful for
you task ahead.
Image Colors
Knowing a bit about how colors are represented in computers will be important for your task
ahead as well.
Images displayed on a screen use light for the display. Any three colors (or frequencies) of light
that produce white light when combined with full intensity are called primary colors of light. The
most commonly used set of primary colors of light is the set Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B).
Using a term borrowed from neuroscience, each color is typically called a color channel.
The following is an online tool for exploring color channels. Try various RGB color channel
values between 0 and 255.
Using the online tool, create the color purple.
What are the R, G, and B values?
5.(200, 0, 255)
Using the online tool, create the color brown.
What are the R, G, and B values?
6.(150, 50,50)
Using the online tool, create the color
xanadu. What are the R, G, and B values?
7.(100, 120, 100)
Methods in the Turtle Library
In addition to colors, you’ll be finding that there are things you want to do with turtle, that you
haven’t yet used in other programs. Often, in computer science, we must refer back to the
documentation to find what we are looking for. The turtle library’s documentation can be found
here, which includes ALL methods the turtle library currently supports:
https://docs.python.org/3.0/library/turtle.html
Explore the turtle library documentation and
find the description for the forward()
method. What alternate command can be
used to move the turtle forward, besides the
turtle.forward() command you are
used to?
8.turtle.fd()
What command from the turtle library can be
used to print the turtle’s current location?
9.turtle.pos()
How do you set the turtle’s speed to
maximum speed?
10.turtle.speed(0)
How would you change the turtle’s color to
xanadu?
11.turtle.color(100, 120, 100)
How would you fill a shape with the color
xanadu?
12.turtle.colormode(255)
turtle.color(100, 120, 100)
Enough Already, Release the Turtles!
In this assignment, you will draw something complex, like a house, animal, or person. Some
ground rules:
1. Use functions for encapsulating "mental chunks".
2. Make effective use of functions and to use docstrings to help clearly explain what each
function is designed to do (hopefully, what the functions do will match what you wrote
they would do).
3. Include a main() function definition and call at the end of your code.
4. The highest level of your program (i.e., no indenting) should only contain the following:
○ the standard CSC 226 header included in all files
○ any import statements
○ All function definitions
○ A main() function
○ A call to the main() function
5. All of your own function definitions should come before the def main(): function
definition AND the call to the main() function. In other words, the last lines of your code
should be:
def main():
# your code inside of main
main()
6. All of your own function definitions should be at the highest level of your program (i.e., no
indenting). Though it is possible to do, functions should really not be DEFINED inside of
other functions (they can be CALLED inside other functions though).
7. Make sure that the thing you draw:
○ Has at least one complex thing which looks like some sort of building, animal or
person.
○ Is set against a background which is not white. You can use an image or a color
as your background.
○ Has some embellishments or interesting details, such as windows, text, trees,
flowers in front of a house, intricate windows, smoke out of the chimney, or
something--these are not all required--they are just suggestions.
○ Uses an unnamed color via either RGB or Hexadecimal.
○ Uses creativity (such as the use of color, an intricate shape, a cool design…)
○ Also, please be sure to include comments for the sections in your code which
draw the different shapes.
After you’ve completed your code, reflect on how you used functions to do different things in
your code. Did all of your functions make sense? Were some extraneous? Did you miss some
that could have helped organize your code better? At what point are you functionalizing your
code too much? Did you achieve this assignments learning goals? You do not need to
answer all of these questions; you do, however, need to be thorough and thoughtful in your
reflection on this assignment.
13. The function for my chimney and chimney smoke got a bit ridiculous. It took a lot of lines
of code to accomplish that drawing.
I did accomplish the learning goals. I had some confusion about how functions worked, but
now I understand them pretty well
● Grow to appreciate pair programming a little more
● Continue practicing creating and using functions
● More practice on using the turtle library
● Learn about how computers represent colors
Pair Programming
Pair programming is an agile software development technique from industry in which two
programmers work as a pair together on one computer. The driver types code, while the other,
the navigator, reviews each line of code as it is typed. The two programmers converse
continually and switch roles frequently. It is what we want to aspire to practice in this course.
Instructions
Being this assignment by reading this research article from " The Costs and Benefits of Pair
Programming", by Alistair Cockburn and Laurie Williams.
After you have read the article, respond to the following prompts. You need write a paragraph of
3-5 sentences or more for each. The goal is that your response shows you have thought about
the article and added your own experience or insights to its ideas.
Which of the results from the article were the
most surprising to you? Why were you
surprised? What were your expectations?
Elaborate briefly.
1. I was surprised by the difference in
time vs. bugs and how large this
effect was. I knew that it would take
longer to make the code, but I didn’t
expect the amount of bugs reduced to
be as much as it was. I also didn’t
think that the price of decoding bugs
was so high.
Which of the costs and/or benefits mentioned
in the article, align with your experience in
class? Explain.
2. I definitely have experience with things
taking longer. However, I have noticed that
my code and other people’s code is generally
more sound. I also have learned a lot about
our specific tools that we are using from other
people.
In your work in class up to this point, do you
feel that you have been closer to practicing
"partner programming" or "pair programming"
(as they are described in the article) or have
you been somewhere in between? Explain.
3.It’s been sort of in-between. There are
times where one person or another is flying
through the code and it’s hard to keep up, so
there isn’t a whole lot of communication.
Other times, however, there is large amounts
of communication regarding design, and
ways to code a specific aspect of the overall
product.
Do you expect to change any of your
teamwork and pair-programming practices
after reading this article? Explain why or why
not.
4. I expect there to be more communication.
One of the biggest tips that I saw in the article
was the idea of thinking outloud. Before
someone even codes something, if they are
more vocal about what they are doing and
are about to do, it can lead to comments from
other people with suggestions on how the
design can be improved.
Turtle Houses, Animals, People
In T3, I gave you some examples of code that uses functions with the turtle library:
● turtle-multicolor-squares.py
● turtle-spiral-input.py
● Turtle-functions-house.py
○ Bricks.gif
○ deck.gif
○ Lighthouse.gif
Before moving on, review these examples and make sure you can read code with functions, and
follow the flow of execution. You’ll find many of the methods used in the examples helpful for
you task ahead.
Image Colors
Knowing a bit about how colors are represented in computers will be important for your task
ahead as well.
Images displayed on a screen use light for the display. Any three colors (or frequencies) of light
that produce white light when combined with full intensity are called primary colors of light. The
most commonly used set of primary colors of light is the set Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B).
Using a term borrowed from neuroscience, each color is typically called a color channel.
The following is an online tool for exploring color channels. Try various RGB color channel
values between 0 and 255.
Using the online tool, create the color purple.
What are the R, G, and B values?
5.(200, 0, 255)
Using the online tool, create the color brown.
What are the R, G, and B values?
6.(150, 50,50)
Using the online tool, create the color
xanadu. What are the R, G, and B values?
7.(100, 120, 100)
Methods in the Turtle Library
In addition to colors, you’ll be finding that there are things you want to do with turtle, that you
haven’t yet used in other programs. Often, in computer science, we must refer back to the
documentation to find what we are looking for. The turtle library’s documentation can be found
here, which includes ALL methods the turtle library currently supports:
https://docs.python.org/3.0/library/turtle.html
Explore the turtle library documentation and
find the description for the forward()
method. What alternate command can be
used to move the turtle forward, besides the
turtle.forward() command you are
used to?
8.turtle.fd()
What command from the turtle library can be
used to print the turtle’s current location?
9.turtle.pos()
How do you set the turtle’s speed to
maximum speed?
10.turtle.speed(0)
How would you change the turtle’s color to
xanadu?
11.turtle.color(100, 120, 100)
How would you fill a shape with the color
xanadu?
12.turtle.colormode(255)
turtle.color(100, 120, 100)
Enough Already, Release the Turtles!
In this assignment, you will draw something complex, like a house, animal, or person. Some
ground rules:
1. Use functions for encapsulating "mental chunks".
2. Make effective use of functions and to use docstrings to help clearly explain what each
function is designed to do (hopefully, what the functions do will match what you wrote
they would do).
3. Include a main() function definition and call at the end of your code.
4. The highest level of your program (i.e., no indenting) should only contain the following:
○ the standard CSC 226 header included in all files
○ any import statements
○ All function definitions
○ A main() function
○ A call to the main() function
5. All of your own function definitions should come before the def main(): function
definition AND the call to the main() function. In other words, the last lines of your code
should be:
def main():
# your code inside of main
main()
6. All of your own function definitions should be at the highest level of your program (i.e., no
indenting). Though it is possible to do, functions should really not be DEFINED inside of
other functions (they can be CALLED inside other functions though).
7. Make sure that the thing you draw:
○ Has at least one complex thing which looks like some sort of building, animal or
person.
○ Is set against a background which is not white. You can use an image or a color
as your background.
○ Has some embellishments or interesting details, such as windows, text, trees,
flowers in front of a house, intricate windows, smoke out of the chimney, or
something--these are not all required--they are just suggestions.
○ Uses an unnamed color via either RGB or Hexadecimal.
○ Uses creativity (such as the use of color, an intricate shape, a cool design…)
○ Also, please be sure to include comments for the sections in your code which
draw the different shapes.
After you’ve completed your code, reflect on how you used functions to do different things in
your code. Did all of your functions make sense? Were some extraneous? Did you miss some
that could have helped organize your code better? At what point are you functionalizing your
code too much? Did you achieve this assignments learning goals? You do not need to
answer all of these questions; you do, however, need to be thorough and thoughtful in your
reflection on this assignment.
13. The function for my chimney and chimney smoke got a bit ridiculous. It took a lot of lines
of code to accomplish that drawing.
I did accomplish the learning goals. I had some confusion about how functions worked, but
now I understand them pretty well
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