Update demo files

[ju-sh]

BPO	38539
Nosy	@rhettinger, @ju-sh
PRs	bpo-38539: update demo files #16890 bpo-38539: Finish rename of ss1.py to spreadsheet.py #16896

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/rhettinger'
closed_at = <Date 2019-10-23.03:24:08.639>
created_at = <Date 2019-10-20.19:17:35.080>
labels = ['type-feature', '3.9']
title = 'Update demo files'
updated_at = <Date 2019-10-23.04:05:10.877>
user = 'https://github.com/ju-sh'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2019-10-23.04:05:10.877>
actor = 'rhettinger'
assignee = 'rhettinger'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2019-10-23.03:24:08.639>
closer = 'rhettinger'
components = ['Demos and Tools']
creation = <Date 2019-10-20.19:17:35.080>
creator = 'ju-sh'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 38539
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 7.0
messages = ['355013', '355014', '355094', '355111', '355137', '355205', '355207']
nosy_count = 2.0
nosy_names = ['rhettinger', 'ju-sh']
pr_nums = ['16890', '16896']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue38539'
versions = ['Python 3.9']

[ju-sh]

The demo programs inside Tools/demo, which is to guide people new to the language (that's the purpose, right?), makes use of several bad coding practices.

Like

• `while 1:` being used instead of `while True:`
• star import
• function call and an `if` statement being on the same line, etc.

It can easily mislead someone new to the language especially since it is part of the codebase and part of distribution as well.

Can we update these files? Most of these seem have not been updated in some time.

A discussion touching this problem on #python-dev suggested that the demos were written when the docs were yet to be polished and now that we have a fully fledged documentation, maybe the demo files can be dropped.

But since the bpo has an option 'Demos and tools' under 'components', I guess maybe the demos are still considered essential.

What do you all think?

[rhettinger]

The Tools/demo modules are sort of a quaint museum to the past. That said, most of the code reads fine even by today's standards.

Go ahead with as PR to change "while 1" to "while True".

The star imports should remain (they are the norm for Tkinter) code.

Let's don't reformat the if/action pairs on the same line. That reflects the author's way of thinking about the problem. Though it may offend your stylistic sensibilities, it is valid Python and readable enough.

BTW, the scripts are almost never "guide people new to the language". They are typically only found by experienced programmers exploring the tree of code (like little easter eggs).

[ju-sh]

Okay. While I'm at it, can I make a few minor change as well? Like

• Use fstrings
• change range(0, val) to range(val) as range()'s first argument has default value 0.
• Change `for i in range(len(groups)):` to enumerated (redemo.py)
• rename ss1.py to spreadsheet.py (to make its purpose clearer)

[rhettinger]

Let's just do the rename for ss1.py.

[ju-sh]

I've made a PR. Can you review it?

[rhettinger]

New changeset a4aeb33 by Raymond Hettinger (Julin S) in branch 'master':
bpo-38539: Update demo files (GH-16890)
a4aeb33

[rhettinger]

New changeset ea6041c by Raymond Hettinger in branch 'master':
bpo-38539: Finish rename of ss1.py to spreadsheet.py (GH-16896)
ea6041c