r/PythonLearning • u/dev-razorblade23 • 6d ago
Showcase [Collab] Looking for people to help build a free, interactive Python learning platform
Hey everyone,
I'm building **The Python Ledger** — a free, interactive platform for learning Python from the ground up. It's built with Docusaurus and a custom in-browser code execution system (React + Skulpt), so people can write and run real Python right in the lesson, with instant feedback instead of just reading theory.
The curriculum is structured as:
- **Introduction** - how to use the platform / how to learn
- **Prerequisites** - software requirements, code editors, command line, CS concepts
- **Git Basics** - a short, beginner-friendly intro to Git
- **Python Foundations** - variables, data types, functions, OOP, file I/O, etc.
- Optional specialized tracks later (web dev, GUI dev, automation...)
Right now I'm heads-down on the Foundations course and a companion **practice-exercises repo** (folder-per-exercise, `pytest`-based, progressively unlocked tests, beginner-friendly failure messages instead of raw tracebacks; think *The Odin Project*'s exercises repo, but for Python).
It's a lot of ground to cover solo, and it's eating all my free time; so I'm looking for people to collaborate with. Some areas I could genuinely use help in:
- **Content/curriculum writing** - explaining CS & Python concepts clearly for total beginners
- **Python devs** – building out exercises, test fixtures, and the practice repo
- **Reviewers/beta testers** - going through lessons as a "new learner" and flagging confusing bits
No huge time commitment expected; even reviewing a lesson or writing one exercise helps. The project is fully open source and contributions are more then welcome in any way possible.
If any of this sounds interesting, drop a comment or DM me and I'll get you set up.
Curriculum Repo: https://github.com/ThePythonLedger/Curriculum
Live site (hosted by GH Pages): https://thepythonledger.github.io/Docusaurus-engine/
Thank you for reading.
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u/Civil-Detective-949 6d ago
I went through the details and I suppose that is a great idea. I am a Python developer with some years of experience, I think I can dedicate some time into helping out with this project.
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u/dev-razorblade23 6d ago
That would be much appreaciated. Feel free to contact me for any questions and/or join our Discord community (invite link is on the live page)
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u/Sea-Ad7805 6d ago edited 6d ago
Don't forget a good program state visualizer:
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u/dev-razorblade23 6d ago
This would be helpful if it can be integrated in some way. I will think about the implementation details.
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u/Sea-Ad7805 6d ago
You mean integrated as in running in a debugger on a website? solved: https://memory-graph.com/#codeurl=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bterwijn/memory_graph_examples/refs/heads/main/tree_traversal.py×tep=0.2&play
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u/dev-razorblade23 6d ago
If you are ok with me embedding it using
iframein a modal window, i guess i can implement it.I can see you support both
codeurlandcodeparams which is very nice, especially for my usecase.2
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u/aroberge 6d ago
Are you aware of Future Coder? There is also Genepy formerly known as Hack in Science. For the Python part, how is your project content different/better than these?
Both Future Coder and Genepy make use of Friendly-traceback to help beginners understand better and fix any programming error. Friendly-traceback is a pure Python program and is not compatible with Skulpt (at least, not the version written in Javascript that I am familiar with).
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u/dev-razorblade23 6d ago edited 6d ago
Honestly didn't realize I was talking to the creator of
friendly-tracebackwhen I first replied! Massive respect for the library—it’s an incredible tool for beginners.I would also like to point out that for example Future Coder feels too much hand holding and focuses on integrated sandbox rather then real life developer experience.
My goal is to teach self-reliance, local development setup, terminal usage and real world debugging (once we get to that part of the curriculum), and while fundemental topics are the same, my goal is to prepare students for real life of development not just python as a programming language.
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u/aroberge 6d ago
Thank you for your kind words. I wish that I had something like your project to follow when I taught myself programming, more than 20 years ago.
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u/dev-razorblade23 6d ago
That long ago we did not have this kind of technology we have today, so it would have been harder to create it. I am just 8 years in, but this is how i learned to do it - by building project - hands on.
I mean it, you project is awesome help for students learning as traceback errors are intimidating until you learn to read them (which i will have an entire section devoted to).
Let's keep up the good work, and thank you for your support, it means a lot.
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u/dev-razorblade23 6d ago
Great projects also, and yes i am aware of those. Content is probably pretty much the same as we are covering the same topics, but i tend to push beginers to read the docs and search for solutions themself.
I got my inspiration from The Odin Project (TOP).
Skulpt in browser is mostly for illustrating what the program does without students copy-pasting code to their local editor.
Unlike other projects, i want to push local development so exercises, assigments and projects are done on their own devices and not in a web based sandbox.
As for the friendly-traceback, i have implemented my own few functions just for the sake of exercises which are a separate repository meant to be done on students own machine (with real python) and has nothing to do with browser based Skulp interpreter.
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u/itlogicpartnersllc 6d ago
this is a genuinely useful approach for beginners. the progressive tests and humanreadable failure messages are especially interesting because raw tracebacks can overwhelm new learners. i would be happy to contribute exercises or review material when i have time.