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Educating the Open-source Community With Showmedo

Although as important as the software it supports, education and documentation are relatively neglected in the Open-source world. Coders love to code, and explaining how best to use or improve the software tends to be deferred or even sidelined.

At Showmedo we believe the community can play a vital role here and also say thanks for the tools and software that make our lives easier. If you have a piece of software you love or a programming langugage you are enthusiastic about, why not make a screencast showing others how to use it? All the stuff you wish you'd been told, the tips, tricks, insights that would have saved you time and frustration.

Screencasting is easier than you think, and we're happy to help you. You can email us for advice or just use some of the how-to screencasts on the site. This screencasting learning-path is a good place to start.

Name: [16797] Tim Bower
Member: 8 months
Authored: 8 videos
Description: Assistant Professor Computer Systems Technology Kansas State University at Salina `Tim Bower <http://www.sal.ksu.edu/faculty/tim/>`_ My blog: `Open Source on the Prairie <http://prairiepy.blogspot.com/>`_ ...

[1544] Demonstartion of multi-threaded chat server and client (1/4)

in series: Python Network Programming

video tutorial by Tim Bower

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(Showmedo is undergoing major changes. To report any problems viewing the videos please email us and include browser and OS specifics. Cheers - Kyran.)

This video demonstrates the usage of a multi-threaded chat server and associated client. This video shows how they are both started and used and discusses some chat application layer control (protocol) messages, which the client might be to send to the server.

A suggestion is made for a short programming project to add an additional feature to the server. This "assignment" is actually pretty simple, but it will spur the viewer to take a closer look at some interesting issues related to network programming with sockets, multi-threaded programming and the associated solution to a fairly complex synchronization problem (readers and writers problem).

The client program is implemented using wxPython, so reviewing the source code of it may help someone wanting try some new things with wxPython. wxPython code must all run from within the same thread, but as is explained in a follow-up video, wxPython has some hooks which allow other threads to alert and send data to the thread which controls the graphical environment.

Follow-up videos will provide a code walk through of the client program and the server program. All of the source code for this project is available on my online Network Programming Study Guide.

Here is a link to the specific page in the Study Guide where all the source code can be downloaded from.

wxpython sockets python networkprogramming multi-threaded chat GUI

Got any questions?

Get answers in the ShowMeDo Learners Google Group.

Video statistics:

Video's rank shown in the most popular listing
Video plays: 231 (since July 30th)
Plays in last week: 13
Published: 6 months ago

Thank-yous, questions and comments

If this video tutorial was helpful please take some time to say thank-you to the authors for their hard work. Feel free to ask questions. Let the author know why their video tutorial was useful - what are you learning about? Did the video tutorial save you time? Would you like to see more?

You may also want to see our ShowMeDo Google Group to speak to our active users and authors.

9. anonymous Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:04

great, thank you

8. Horst Jens Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:18

Good video, thank you for making it.

suggestion: move the mouse more at the beginning, because i could hear your voice but was not sure that the video was working for the first few seconds.

7. anonymous Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:50

Good introduction

6. anonymous Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:32

Hi Tim you have done a great job with what you are teaching. I have learned a lot from this video. Keep up the good work my friend.

5. Tim Bower Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:42

Good point about the source code. The ShowMeDo video page only shows one file and this demo is showing 2 programs (client and server). The video showing the server code walk through shows the source code, but the client has three files. I show a link to the Network Programming Study Guide, which has all of the source code available for download. I will add a link to the specific page in the study guide that has the source code.

4. anonymous Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:34

where is the source code , you should showed the source code at the same time and high light what is going on both the source code and the program?

3. gasto Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:29

Looking great.

2. Tim Bower Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:48

Thanks for the kind words. The showMeDo videos on wxPython that you and Ian did were quite helpful when working on the client program.

Kyran Dale Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:53

Great stuff! Very smooth screencast - nice pacing, and I'm left eagerly anticipating seeing how the chat-system is put together. This sort of stuff is pure gold for budding programmers I think. Small, but not trivial, projects explained by their creators.

Sorry for the delay in publishing - I've just moved country to sunny Lisbon and am settling in. You're good to self-publish now and welcome to Showmedo. I'll be blogging about this later in the week. As I wrote, great material for a screencast set.

Kudos and Thanks for Tim

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

very informative. someone suggested usb mic, but no reason. now it is clear. and the sound samples mean i have lived the difference. very nice.

sharon 11 days ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

A useful intro to the topic of microphones. I've used both types but never gave it much thought that 3.5mm jack microphones could generate background noise.

Also, have you considered in-built webcam microphones. I use a Logitech Pro Quickcam Pro 9000 for example, which has a built-in microphone. Screencast software (Jing in my case) select this microphone as the default, even if I have a headset with 3.5 mm jack on.

anonymous 58 days ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Interesting

anonymous 60 days ago

The structure of arguments passed to Unix commands

your video are great

anonymous 2 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Fine job Quick, concise, useful. The proven conclusion that the USB mic was measurably better, even in the inexpensive model, is valuable to me. Thankyou

anonymous 2 months ago

Filtering Data Vertically with Cut and Awk

Good job to introduce people with basic aspects of cut and awk commands. Looking forward to new tutorials.

anonymous 2 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Thanks for the comparison. I could barely discern this differences you noted in the recordings, but I accept that you hear them! :)

anonymous 3 months ago

Filtering Data Vertically with Cut and Awk

please make more on this subject

anonymous 3 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Thanks: very clear and useful.

anonymous 3 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

well made for the target audience. thank you

anonymous 3 months ago

The structure of arguments passed to Unix commands

Thanks for the great screencasts.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Clear, concise and straight to the point. Excellent.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

It's nice when someone shares their experience. It's a way to build a better world. Thanks

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Very informative video - thanks! BTW, I majored in aerospace engineering at one of K-State's rivals - good ol' KU Jayhawkers.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

This is helpful for me, thanks for making this video.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Very helpful. I have a Snowflake USB from Blue Microphone that works well. The headset microphones just didn't work for me. Sounded like Sylvester with all of the P, S, and succotash a mouth can produced.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Thanks for the ShowMeDo video on microphones.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

A good idea to consider this for future ShowMeDoers, a useful contribution, and a clear and well-paced delivery. Thank you.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

Great experiment. Will make sure I use my USB mic for recording.

anonymous 4 months ago

Three low cost microphones for screencasting

very interesting, I am ready to start a few of these myself and appreciate the input.

anonymous 5 months ago

more...

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