Note: this site is still up to serve as a reference for people who took the course in Fall of '18. If you're currently enrolled, please head to the site for the current semester.

Supplemental Videos

Extra videos that are optional to watch will be posted here.

Lecture Supplement

While Loops

Example: add numbers from a file

CSV Files (as lists of lists)

Example: how many hurricanes per year?

Computer Setup

PyCharm

Just like you can use different web browsers to view the same website (for example, Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer), you can also use different editor programs to write the same code. If you have a preference, you can use whatever editor you like for this course. We realize most of you will have never used an editor, though, and will not have a preference. In that case, we recommend PyCharm to you. We have installed PyCharm on all the lab computers, so you can use it there, or install it on your own computer.

The first time you run PyCharm (in the lab or on your computer), it needs to do some initial setup that is very slow, and can take 10+ minutes. Just be patient (wait if it says something like "indexing" or "creating skeletons" or "2 processes running" in the status bar).

Once it's done doing that, you can create new projects where you can write Python code. The following (unfortunately grainy) video shows how to create a Python file and run it in PyCharm. Each computer is different and requires slightly different steps, so if you get stuck, visit one of the TAs or your instructor during office hours for help, and we'll be happy to work through the details with you.

Create Python File in PyCharm (no audio)

Installing Python on Windows

Installing Visual Studio Code on Windows

Visual Studio Code is an alternative to PyCharm. If you want to use it, feel free. Here are some videos where we are installing it and configuring it. We think PyCharm is easier for beginners, but both are reasonable options.