resources

algorithms and data structures

• The Algorithm Design Manual, Steven Skienna (recommended ; optional)
  • springer 3rd edition pdf | amazon 3rd edition hardback (about $80 on 2021-02-12)
  • Skienna lectures slides & videos
• Problem Solving with Algorithms and Data Structures using Python (good stuff but awkward to use and somewhat lower level)
• Open Data Structures
• A First Course on Data Structures in Python
• Building Blocks for Theoretical Computer Science
• Algorithms by Jeff Erikson (higher level than our course)

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
• extras
  • top 10 python libraries of 2020

C

• The C Programming Language | amazon (recommended ; optional)
• C Refcard (Don't leave home without it!)
• Stanford's Essential C
• A Little C Primer
• Matloff's Unix & C Tutorials
• learn-c.org
• programiz Learn C Programming
• Jim's
  • C word list examples
  • C pointer examples

jupyter notebooks & plotting

• installing jupyter
• jupyter.org/documentation
• software carpentry - plotting and programming in python
• making plots in jupyter - matplotlib
• altair: declarative visualizations - another plotting library
• seaborn - another plot library
• plotly - yet another plot library
• comparisons of plotting libraries
  • top 6 python visualization: which to use?
  • altair vs matplotlib
• pandas - python data library ; tables and .csv files as objects

command line

running it :

• 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.
  • another windows option is Microsoft's Windows Subsytem for Linux on windows 10 (free)

tutorials :

• 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
• 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?

SQL

• theory / background / context
  • wikipedia: relational database
  • wikipedia: SQL (what it is)
  • database normalization - the three normal forms | pdf
• tutorials
  • guru99
  • sqltutorial.org
  • sqlitetutorial.net
  • geekgirls.com - databasics
  • khanacademy.org - Intro to SQL (videos)
• exercises
  • wikibooks SQL exercises
  • swcarpentry database & SQL lessons
  • Select Star SQL - an interactive book for learning SQL syntax
  • Murder in SQL City - murder mystery SQL practice
  • CD database example using sqlite3
• tools - SQLite
  • sqlite.org
  • sqlite syntax
  • sqlite3 command line
  • SQLite is not a toy
  • python sqlite tutorial
• implementation
  • Let's build a simple database | HackerNews discussion
  • wikipedia: B-tree (what SQL databases are built with)
• other
  • gay marriage as a database design problem from qntm.org
  • practical SQL for data analysis | hackernews discussion

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