Resources

Development Environment

Coder

The course can use a cloud-based coding environment through Coder, so you do not need to install everything locally to get started.

• Log in at Calvin’s Coder instance and open a workspace
• Your workspace includes Python and the tools needed for class work
• What is Coder? — remote development environments in a browser
• Tip: your files persist within your workspace — save often and keep your work organized

Python

• Python documentation
• Python tutorial
• Built-in functions

VS Code

VS Code is a good editor for writing, running, and debugging Python programs.

• Download VS Code
• Python in VS Code
• Debugging in VS Code

Debugging Help

• Python Tutor — step through code execution visually
• Common Python errors
• PEP 8 style guide — for readable Python code

Version Control

GitHub

Lab assignments are distributed and submitted through GitHub Classroom.

• Sign up for GitHub — use your .edu email to get the Student Developer Pack for free
• Each lab will give you a GitHub Classroom link that creates a personal repo for your work
• Push your completed notebook to your repo to submit

Getting started with Git & GitHub:

• GitHub’s own quickstart guide
• Git cheat sheet (PDF)
• Key commands you’ll use:

git add .
git commit -m "completed lab"
git push

Core Topics

Variables, Types, and Expressions

• Numbers in Python
• Strings
• Expressions and operators

Control Flow

• if statements
• for statements
• while statements

Functions and Modules

• Defining functions
• Modules
• venv