Yesselman Group Coding Lessons

This repository features a set of python lessons for use in onboarding people to the Yesselman Lab at UNL. They are to be accessible to beginners and assume zero programming experience. Part I focuses on Python

Part I: Python

lesson0 : Setting everything up

Terminal for Windows Users

For Windows users, it is recommended to download the Cmder terminal emulator to use instead of the native Windows command prompt. Cmder runs on top of the Windows OS and helps to bridge the gap to the preferred UNIX terminals. To install, just click on the provided link and follow the instructions on the website. You will know it is working properly when you can launch the colorful terminal.

Downloading and Installing Python

To download python, go the following link and click the button at the top of the page to download the latest version. Select the appropriate platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, etc.) and follow the directions provided. You can test that python is properly downloaded by entering python in the terminal as below:

>python

If python is installed, the terminal should enter the python command line interpreter and look something like this (though parts of the header will likely look different):

Python 3.7.7 (default, Mar 10 2020, 15:43:33)
[Clang 11.0.0 (clang-1100.0.33.17)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 

To exit, simply type in >>>exit() and hit enter. If nothing happens, this is likely because your computer does not know where python is located. This is a more common issue on Windows platforms and some common work arounds can be found here. Help for Mac users can also be found here.

Setting up Pycharm

The Yesselman Group's integrated development environment (IDE) of choice is PyCharm, which is developed by JetBrains. As students, you are eligible for an educational license to use the professional version, which you can apply for here. While waiting for your license, you can download the PyCharm community edition. Click on the aforementioned link, select your platform and you can download the Community version immediately!

lesson01 : What is Python?, How Python Works, Hello World and Intro to Variables

Covers:

• background information on python and programming
• generic python workflow
• Hello World program that would make K&R proud
• the use of variables to store and manipulate data

lesson02 : Native types in Python, If statements

Covers:

• descriptions of int(),float(),str() and bool() types as well as operators
• warnings about mixing int and float types as well as associated narrowing
• syntax and conventions for if statements
• nesting of if statements and multibranching

lesson03 : Lists

• methods to add, remove and manipulate entries in list() objects
• indexing and the use of the [] operator

lesson04 : For and while loops

• basic looping for both for and while loops
• combinding looping and conditionals
• using break for extra control flow

lesson05 : Functions

• anatomy of functions -> name, return types, parameters
• how to write user defined functions
• more detail on function calling

lesson06 : Sets and Strings

• intro to the set() object, with an emphasis on use in summarizing datasets
• revisit strings and string maninpulation, covering the following methods:
  • .split()
  • .join()
  • .find()
  • .trim()

lesson07 : Dictionaries

• literal declaration of dict() objects
• manipulating key-value pairs with the [] operator
• iterating through dict entries with .values(),.keys() and .items()

lesson08 : Classes

• how to write a class
• discussion of attributes, methods and magic methods
• explanation of best practices for writing effective classes
• does NOT cover polymorphism/inheritance

lesson09 : External Modules and File IO

• how to use import, from [MODULE] import [] and import [MODULE] as [ALIAS]
• best practices for using modules
• reading and writing to files
• using open() to create file objects and .read()/.write() to access text data

lesson10 : Unittesting

• tutorial on how to use the built-in unittest module
• importance of unittestsing in projects
• best practices for writing unittests/docstrings

lesson11 : Visualizing Data with Matplolib

• how to use plt.scatter(), plt.hist() and plt.plot()
• basics of making hybrid plots
• setting plot characteristics with key-word arguments (kwargs)

lesson12 : Manipulating Data with Pandas

• DataFrames as a way to store and manipulate ordered data
• how to use pandas' built-in file IO system
• combining DataFrames with matplotlib

Miscellaneous Resources

• Especially for those new to programming, Edabit is a helpful website. This is a coding website filled with tons of practice problems, starting all the way from "Hello World" programs. When just starting, spending 15-30 minutes a day on Edabit will greatly improve one's coding skills. On this site, it is important to read other solutions after finishing a problem which can be done by clicking the "view other solutions" button after completing a challenge.