02-03 October 2019
9.00 am - 4.30 pm
Instructors: Francis Gacenga, Richard Young
Helpers: Adam Sparks, Anita Frederiks, Edan Scriven, Mathieu Clerte, Paul Melloy, Dag Evensberget
Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.
For more information on what we teach and why, please see our paper "Best Practices for Scientific Computing".
Who: The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don't need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Where: Rooms B207 A+B, Building B, 37 Sinnathamby Boulevard, Springfield Central QLD 4300. Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
When: 02-03 October 2019. Add to your Google Calendar.
Requirements: Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed below). They are also required to abide by Software Carpentry's Code of Conduct.
Accessibility: We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:
Materials will be provided in advance of the workshop and large-print handouts are available if needed by notifying the organizers in advance. If we can help making learning easier for you (e.g. sign-language interpreters, lactation facilities) please get in touch (using contact details below) and we will attempt to provide them.
Contact: Please email eResearchServices@usq.edu.au for more information.
Please be sure to complete these surveys before and after the workshop.
| Before | Pre-workshop survey |
| 09:00 | Introduction to the Unix shell |
| 10:30 | Coffee |
| 10:45 | Automating tasks with the Unix shell |
| 12:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00 | Working with shell scripts and finding things |
| 14:30 | Coffee |
| 14:45 | Plotting and Programming in Python |
| 15:45 | Wrap-up |
| 16:00 | END |
| 09:00 | Plotting and Programming in Python |
| 10:30 | Coffee |
| 10:45 | Plotting and Programming in Python |
| 12:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00 | Plotting and Programming in Python |
| 14:30 | Coffee |
| 14:45 | Plotting and Programming in Python |
| 15:45 | Wrap-up |
| 16:00 | Post-workshop Survey |
| 16:15 | END |
We will use this collaborative document for chatting, taking notes, and sharing URLs and bits of code.
To participate in a Software Carpentry workshop, you will need access to the software described below. In addition, you will need an up-to-date web browser.
We maintain a list of common issues that occur during installation as a reference for instructors that may be useful on the Configuration Problems and Solutions wiki page.
Bash is a commonly-used shell that gives you the power to do simple tasks more quickly.
When you're writing code, it's nice to have a text editor that is optimized for writing code, with features like automatic color-coding of key words. We will use Nano which will be pre-installed in the supplied VM.
Python is a popular language for research computing, and great for general-purpose programming as well. Participants will be supplied with access to a VM for the workshop.