There is more to programming than simply writing lines of code. This free workshop will provide you with a basic set of skills to make the coding process more effective, less error prone and more maintainable.
This workshop is intended for those looking to obtain a basic understanding of the approach to be taken when designing a program as well as actually writing small programs to solve specific problems. It is designed for those with no prior experience of programming.
It is organised by the Office of Scholarly Communication and The Betty and Gordon Moore Library, and delivered by Peter Smyth (Research Associate) and Chris Park (Data Scientist) from the UK Data Service.
Topics covered
- Specifying the problem to be solved
- Creating flowcharts and pseudo-code
- Documentation
- Testing and debugging
- Different coding environments
- Basic Python coding constructs
- Creating a complete program
Format
The workshop will be a mixture of PowerPoint presentations and hands-on practical exercises using the Python programming language and social sciences datasets from the UK Data Service
System requirements
- Please download instructions and install Python on your laptop in advance of the session. Click here for instructions and resources.
Prerequisites
- Basic computer skills will be assumed
- No prior knowledge of Python is necessary. If you can already program in Python, we recommend you investigate alternative courses offered by the University Information Services http://bit.ly/2flLeiA
Notes
- Please bring your own fully-charged, wifi-enabled laptop to this session
- Lunch will be provided. Please let us know of any dietary requirements