This week I had a couple of big success. First, I solved my (most) of my problems with avatar file generating. I also created a handful of templates that I think should fit a variety of projects. Finally, I introduced an old project that I had been working on with Python Turtle and will hopefully get some help working on it.

My two main problems with the avatar generating were Unicode characters in usernames and difficulty handling all of the command line options we were having in log_generator and avatar_gen. To solve the problem with Unicode characters I used the function to_unicode() from a package called Kitchen to encode every log entry I read in from a file to Unicode before I began parsing it. This prevented an ASCII/Unicode mix that threw an error.

To solve my command-line arguments issue I utilized a module called argparse to process my arguments. The argparse tutorial from the Python docs was really informative and thorough. Using the tutorial I was able to implement argparse in both log_generator and avatar_gen in a way that is much cleaner than the logic we were using before. Another great feature of this change is that all options for log_generator are now optional. I have defaults set so that custom logs can be generated without any arguments, which is nice in my opinion. Command line options are still required for avatar generator, which needs a list of names and email hosts, and a list of email hosts with an image file path to run. Overall, I think it is a great improvement though.

The custom templates are pretty self explanatory. I have a feeling as we generate videos they will be edited a lot, but for now they are a strong starting point. This week will be a little crazy with the 4th of July. Perhaps over that time I will try to actually render videos to work on these settings.

Finally, I have created a repository for AmazingTurtle. Right now it is in a very basic stage but the point of the project is to be an introductory lesson to programming for Middle school aged students through the Python Turtle. The lessons will consist of navigating the turtle through various puzzles, gathering stars and avoiding obstacles. I have actually taught using this method to 6th and 8th grade students for two years now in my mother's classroom. It has been highly rewarding and students have responded positively to the lessons. It is something that I have really enjoyed teaching and I think will be a great educational tool. As my exact project goals with that become more clear, I may share more updates.