Overview
This lesson is designed to be run in a Python environment. All of the software and data used in this lesson are freely available online, and instructions on how to obtain them are provided below.
Setting up Python with repl.it
In this lesson, we will be using a Python 3 environment on repl.it online. We will use some of Python’s most popular scientific libraries. Guidance will be provided for use in repl.it. repl.it is a free online integrated development environment (IDE). An IDE is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities for software development. repl.it gives you an instant IDE to learn, build, and collaborate.
Alternatively: Installing Python on your personal computer
If you don’t want to use repl.it, you can install a Python environment on your computer instead. We recommend installing Anaconda, a Python distribution that comes with everything we need for the lesson. Detailed installation instructions for various operating systems can be found on The Carpentries template website for workshops and in the Anaconda documentation.
We recommend Visual Studio Code for a full-featured IDE. Visual Studio Code is free and supports most code development needs.
Start your repl.it environment
- Go to repl.it.
- In the top right corner click
+ new repl. - Click the left
Create New Repltab. - Make sure
Pythonis selected in the language list and clickCreate Repl.
After a short loading you should see three side-by-side panes surrounded by a top menu bar and a left menu bar.
Know your interface
The following sentences detail the user interface of repl.it. The leftmost pane contains the folder of all the repository files. The middle pane contains the current open files. The rightmost pane is an interactive terminal. The top menu has a few options to customize this repl page and run open code. The left menu allows you to expand or collapse active Files, Version Control, or to customize Settings of this online IDE.