resources

textbook

• Python Programming: An Intro to Computer Science, 3rd edition
  • on amazon
  • textbook code, slides, corrections
  • graphics.py package
  • graphics API reference

other online books

• How to Think like a Computer Scientist
• a Byte of Python
• sofware carpentry's programming with python
• kaggle's learn python
• python.org's tutorial

python

• documentation & help
  • Have a specific question? Just google it! 🤔
  • official 3.x docs
  • python3 one-page cheatsheat (a reference summary)
  • pythoncheatsheet.org - a longer summary
  • stackoverflow.com - questions & answers with 'python' tag
• installing it - make sure you get version 3.something
  • official downloads
  • anaconda distribution - another distribution with numpy & all the trimmings
  • jupyter - a browser-based python numerical environment
    • a gallery of interesting jupyter/python notebooks
  • find recipes by googling terms like "windows install bash python 3" or "install mac python 3" or similar variations.
    • a bash + python recipe
    • installing python at realpython.com
• online environments
  • jupyter.bennington.college - our online environment : jupyter + terminal + editor
  • pythontutor - online code visualization
  • mybinder.org - run jupyter notebooks from github .ipynb files
  • cocalc - a jupyter + terminal site with many xtras including collaboration (free & paid versions)
  • repl.it - python in a browser ; can run python's turtle
    • For an example, here's an interactive python turtle fractal using repli.it
  • kaggle.com, a data science community, provides free interactive jupyter notebooks.
  • google colaboratory (Colab) lets you run jupyter notebooks in a google docs account.
• style, tests, and types (oh my). YMMV
  • PEP8 style guide for python code
  • doctest
  • black - uncompromising code formatter
  • python type checking ... also google "python type hints"
  • mypy - a static type checker for Python
  • numpy - numerical python - support for scientific computing

coding practice

• Project Euler - "a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems"
• Advent of Code | about - "small programming puzzles for a variety of skill sets and skill levels"
• Rosetta Code - iconic coding tasks in many languages
• CodingBat python
• edabit - learn to code with interactive challenges

command line

• wikipedia: command-line interface
• software carpentry's unix shell lesson
• Effective Shell online book, by David Kerr
• N. Matloff's Unix: the bare minimum
• N. Stephenson's "In the beginning there was the command line" essay | wikipedia
• Mac: "Terminal" application (click magnifying glass in menu for Spotlight; type 'Terminal')
• Windows: install "git bash" which includes the unix "bash" shell including a terminal, ssh, and other common unix-y stuff.
• linux command line - learn about how to use the command line
• the alternative to the command line is GUI apps and a window manager

code editors & IDEs

• nano - a simple but good unix (and windows git bash) command line line choice
• emacs - what Jim uses ; one of the classic terminal editors | aquamacs ac application
• vim - another classic in-the-terminal hacker's editor
• notepad++ (windows) - free code-friendly replacement for Notepad
• sublime text - a popular proprietary GUI editor
• vscode - Microsoft's Visual Code Studio ; has been one of the most popular editors lately
• atom - a web-oriented GUI code editor
• PyCharm - JetBrain's lots-of-bells app for editing & running python on Mac, Windows, Linux. There's a free "community" version and a paid version with more features.
• IDLE - python.org's app for editing and running python ; comes with the standard python installation
• google "top python editor IDE", eh?

computer systems vocabulary & acronyms

• ascii and utf8
• newline and text files
• binary, bytes, and hex
• compilers and interpreters
• hello world
• GUI - graphical user interface
• IDE
• operating systems and file systems
• git - a popular "version control system" for managing files and software projects
• wikipedia - along with stackoverflow and xkcd, the repository of everything anyone has ever thought about computers 😷