Open writing projects/Scientific Programming with Python and Subversion/Outline: Difference between revisions

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crunching numbers example
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** physics
** physics


4. Crunching numbers with python - numpy, maybe bio examples
=== Crunching numbers with python ===
 
* Python community modules (modular)
** using numpy for matrix manipulations
** using the scipy project tools
** interacting with the Gnu Scientific Library
* An example project
** bioinformatics
** physics


5. Unit testing for scientists - introduction to unit testing, why do it, how structure the tests, how can do it with nose
5. Unit testing for scientists - introduction to unit testing, why do it, how structure the tests, how can do it with nose

Revision as of 00:54, 22 March 2008

Outline

  • sections marked with '(modular)' can be re-written using a different technology (i.e. git instead of svn)

Introductory remarks

  • Why this book
    • motivation - lots of training in what science to do with computers, but little training in how to do it
    • for beginners - assumes no prior knowledge, introduces tools as they are needed in a typical scientific investigation using computers
    • for experienced scientists - introducing new tools to do some of these tasks
    • goal - to make managing projects easier, but more importantly to promote good scientific practice through these methods
  • Introduce scientific themes throughout the book
    • Some bioinformatics theme - maybe use an example from one of the NCBI coffee breaks
    • Some physics theme?

Source Control Management with Subversion

  • What is source control?
    • like Word 'track changes' or wiki 'history' but for all the files in a project.
    • A way to keep a history of every step in a process.
    • Not only for computer code, but for data, plots, paper manuscripts, etc.
  • Introduction to subversion (modular)
    • What is a repository
    • How to create a repository
    • How to make bosic commits
    • Seeing differences between versions
    • Retrieving past versions
    • Collaboration using subversion
  • Advanced Topics
    • Branching and Merging

An Introduction to Python

  • What is python
    • computer language that offers easy access to high-level functions, and has a large and growing community of scientific users
  • Why python
    • python code looks clean - easy to understand your code a week later, or collaborators code
    • everything can be done in python from data generation to analysis to plots making every aspect of the project consintent
    • these together promote good scientific practices (data integrity, data reproduceability)
  • An introduction to python (modular)
    • variable assignment
    • basic control structures
    • functions
    • package structure and import
    • objects (just like packages)

Making scientific plots with python

  • An introduction to matplotlib (modular)
    • basic functionality - simple line, bar, histogram plots
    • more sophisticated graphics - insets, labeling with text, drawing arrows
    • interactive graphics - adjusting parameters for real-time fitting
  • An example project use of matplotlib
    • bioinformatics
    • physics

Crunching numbers with python

  • Python community modules (modular)
    • using numpy for matrix manipulations
    • using the scipy project tools
    • interacting with the Gnu Scientific Library
  • An example project
    • bioinformatics
    • physics

5. Unit testing for scientists - introduction to unit testing, why do it, how structure the tests, how can do it with nose

6. Complete case study - wrapping it all together

7. Advanced topic - using SWIG and psyco to speed up python code