Python Language

I'm a programmer/analyst for a state government using SAP. SAP is coded in ABAP and all my programming is done in that language. I do payroll stuff, human resource reports, interfaces, all stuff very important for paying people and seeing their deductions are going to the correct people, but not very flashy. Nor is ABAP a good language for home use. And the State frowns on us using state resources for personal use.

Last year I learned some HTML, XML, and CSS, enough to help upgrade the famous J. Kaye's Book Blog. But doing web/screen stuff is not real satisfying for me.

So I will learn Python this year. I already have 3 projects in mind. The first is a simple 'game', really a search algorithm to find a number in a range.

Second is creating a household/menu app that will generate a weekly menu and shopping list based on choice of meals and inventory. We have been frugal shopping for 1/2 a year now and lowered the average amount spend of groceries and household items by 15%. That means I buy lost of the same stuff when it's on sale (month of pasta and sauce, month of bread, lots of meat, etc).

So I want to be able to create a menu based on meal selections and have meals suggested based on what's in inventory. I need also to be change inventory, both add-to and take-from, and the prices of those items with quantity and use quantity. Like 1 can tuna for 1 box tuna helper. I also want a list of proposed household items we need based upon use. So our 120 load big box of Gain should be out in week 3, so don't put it as a proposed shopping item for week 1 and 2. Again, the usage of these items will need to be adjustable. What else? All the screens should be easy and intuitive enough for my 12 year old daughter to handle. And it'll print me out a menu and shopping list for the week since we do better on a weekly cycle.

That ought to take me a while ;D.

The third is a chess position analyzer. It will output the analysis of the position using the acronym IMPLODe as seen in Chess Life. Will not tell the next best move or line, nor suggest any next move. Probably will need to hook up to a chess engine for a deep analysis like mate in 4 or 5. That would be important to know!
The purpose is to help look at and analyze positions - that's all.
Any suggestions, ideas, logic, what-Not-to-dos, will be very much appreciated.

This is my goal for 2009.