What: Our goal is to help scientists and engineers become more productive by teaching them basic computing skills like program design, version control, testing, and task automation. In this two-day bootcamp, short tutorials will alternate with hands-on practical exercises. Participants will be encouraged both to help one another, and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems during and between sessions. Attendants are offered online office hours: regular events to get one-on-one help from Software Carpentry instructors, online.

Requirements: Participants must bring a laptop with a few specific software packages installed. For details, please see the setup instructions, and if you have any difficulties, please mail us for help.

Content: We are running one boot camp Jan 30-31, and another covering the same material Feb 1-2. On the first day of each (Jan 30 and Feb 1), we will cover:

• Unix shell
  • basic commands for manipulating files and directories
  • the pipe-and-filter model
  • using 'history' and shell scripts to repeat and automate work
• Version control
  • version control
  • the update/edit/commit cycle
  • managing conflicts
  • when/where/how to set up a repository
• SQL
  • the relational data model
  • selecting and filtering data
  • aggregating information
  • handling missing data
  • combining information from multiple sources

On the second day of each (Jan 31 and Feb 2), we will cover:

• Python
  • basic mechanics: assignment, lists, loops, conditionals, file I/O
  • how and why to use libraries
  • how/when/why to create functions
  • debugging
• Data analysis
  • using Pandas to manipulate and analyze data
  • vectorizing computations
• Testing
  • how to create unit tests
  • test-driven development
  • techniques for testing numerical software

Contact: Please mail for more information.

Participation in this boot camp is restricted to students at Columbia University. To register, please follow the instructions on this Google Docs spreadsheet. (You will need to put your name down twice, once for the first day's material (in green) and one for the second day's (in blue).)