CS8, UCSB
Using the cTurtle module from the
Miller/Ranum Python textbook

Introduction

Python comes with an editor named IDLE (named for Eric Idle, the Monty Python performer.)

IDLE is discussed in the Miller/Ranum textbook on pp. 9–10.

This document is not a complete introduction to cTurtle

This document only describes how to get cTurtle to work with various configurations of Python you might encounter on the UCSB campus, or on your own PC running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux.

For a complete description of the cTurtle module, see appendix C of the Miller/Ranum textbook used in CS8.

How to access cTurtle

Accessing the cTurtle module on CSIL or in the Cooper lab

• Use ~pconrad/cs8/cs8idle as the command you type at the Linux prompt to bring up IDLE
• This will work directly in the CSIL and Cooper lab
• It will also work from Mac or Linux machines if you start in an XTerm, and type
  • ssh -Y username@csil.cs.ucsb.edu

Accessing the cTurtle module if you installed Python 3.0 or 3.1 on your PC

• Download the version of cTurtle.py used for Python 3.x, and store it somewhere on your PC's hard drive (e.g. C:\cs8\cTurtle.py )
• At the start of your session, type these commands
  • import sys; sys.path.append("c:/cs8");
  • You will need to repeat that command each time you "restart" unless you store it in a file and "Run" it each time
• Be sure to change "c:/cs8" to the name of whatever directory you used to store the cTurtle.py file.
• Also, be sure to your forward slashes (/) not backslashes (\) in the file name.

Accessing the cTurtle module if you installed Python 3.0 or 3.1 on your Mac

• Download the version of cTurtle.py used for Python 3.x, and store it somewhere on your Mac's hard drive (e.g. /Users/Shared/cs8/cTurtle.py)
• At the start of your session, type these commands
  • import sys; sys.path.append("/Users/Shared/cs8");
  • You will need to repeat that command each time you "restart" unless you store it in a file and "Run" it each time.
• Be sure to change "/Users/Shared/cs8" to the name of whatever directory you used to store the cTurtle.py file.
• Also, be sure to use forward slashes (/)—not backslashes—(\) in the file name.

 

 

---

Last update: P. Conrad, 08/04/2009