TigerJython
TigerJython is not simply some software you can use to write and compile code. Behind it is a team and a philosophy. We pursue the idea that everyone can learn programming, and that is both using a professional “real” programming language, which is used in the “real world,” and with didactic considerations that allow a playful approach.
To this end, the TJ Group constantly advances TigerJython, creates teaching material and tutorials, and offers help for problems.
The IDE and the project were originally created under the name TigerJython. This is because we used Jython to run Python programs with the JVM. However, our focus is now on the browser-based web version with Pyodide, so the reference to Jython is outdated. Furthermore, it was not always clear that Jython is also Python. Accordingly, we have changed the name to (Web)TigerPython.
Our project includes a range of different products. The web version WebTigerPython is licensed under the Mozilla Public License MPL 2.0, as is the Java-based version TigerJython 3. Unfortunately, we were unable to make the older version TigerJython 2 available as open source in its entirety. However, an important core component, the TigerPython parser, is also available under MPL 2.0.
Yes, TigerJython and WebTigerPython are actively being developed, the former for over ten years.
We are currently working intensively on WebTigerPython and are constantly implementing
new features. Since a simple interface and usability are central to us,
these new features are often not immediately visible. For example,
WebTigerPython now supports PyGame without this being directly visible.
In addition, the WebTigerPython parser, which we use to generate improved error messages, also receives regular bug fixes and improvements.
TigerJython 3 is still used in many schools together with the online tutorials “Programmierkonzepte.ch” and “TigerJython4Kids.ch.” The IDE also continues to be supported and further developed in the field of robotics. The Java-based environments, on the other hand, are fairly inactive. TigerJython 2 relies heavily on Jython, which is unfortunately very outdated in terms of the Python version. Modernizing the Java-based versions would involve considerable effort and be a medium to long-term project. Since we were approached primarily with the need for a web-based solution, we decided to focus on the web version.
TigerJython was originally created and developed by Tobias Kohn, Aegidius Plüss (†), and Jarka Arnold. Nicole Trachsler later developed the first web version based on Skulpt. The team has grown considerably since then, and WebTigerPython is primarily an implementation by Clemens Bachmann under the direction of Dennis Komm and Tobias Kohn, while Jarka Arnold is responsible for the tutorials and support.
Responsibility for the project lies with the non-profit association TJ-Group, in close cooperation with the Chair of Algorithms and Didactics and the Training and Consulting Center for Computer Science Education at ETH Zurich and the Chair of Computer Science and its Didactics at KIT.
gturtle And Not turtle?Jython does not provide its own turtle library. Accordingly,
we had to find a Java-based alternative for TigerJython that we
could integrate. This was the Java Turtle library by
Aegidius Plüss. Due to various
differences in naming and implementation, we integrated this library
as gturtle (where the g stands for graphics).
At that time, in addition to the original turtle module from
Python 2, there was also an extended turtle xturtle, which became the
standard turtle in Python 3. So the idea of an alternative turtle module was
not new.
Due to the large amount of teaching materials and textbooks that have been
developed in the meantime, we have retained gturtle as a module, but also
provide an interface that is largely compatible with the standard module
turtle. The gturtle module is, of course, also subject to Of course, the
gturtle module is also subject to further developments, some of which are
didactic and some of which are technical. For example, makeTurtle() has been
omitted in WebTigerPython, because, unlike the Java version, there is no longer
a window that needs to be created.
APLU Libraries?APLU refers to Aegidius Plüss (one of the founding fathers of
TigerJython), who wrote an extensive collection of Java libraries,
including JTurtle, GPanel, and JGameGrid,
which were then integrated into TigerJython. In the documentation
or in various repositories, these libraries are sometimes grouped under the
term APLU.
The Team behind TigerJython
The TJ Group is a community of people who promote computer science education in compulsory and tertiary schools by actively participating in the discourse on the didactics and methodology of education with a focus on programming with Python.
Members have special access to non-public source code and other internal resources. They can make suggestions (feature requests) for further developments or participate themselves.
Jarka Arnold
President
Tobias Kohn
Vice President
Dennis Komm
Nicole Roth
Want to support us?
There are numerous possibilities to help us with our work, for instance with becoming a member of TJ Group. If you are interested, please contact us via email.
We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email.
If you need support or have any question regarding TigerJython or offers we provide, feel free to contact us using the email addresses provided.
If you have any question regarding sponsoring TigerJython or about a recent publication of ours please contact us via the following email address.
If you need help with one of our products or have questions regarding one of our products or offers, please contact us via the following email address.
If you want to contact our association or have a general question or feedback regarding TigerJython, please use the following contact information.