CP104: Tools and Facilities

The PCs in the public labs can be used by you for your assignments. (See Information Technology Services (ICT) Computer Labs for a list of microcomputer labs and other information about ICT). We use the Python programming language and the Eclipse / PyDev IDE (Integrated Development Environment). We will provide you with more information about the computing facilities in your first lab.

If using your own computer, a standard Windows or Mac desktop PC or laptop is sufficient. Our courses generally do not require any heavy-duty memory or graphics requirements. A Chromebook is not sufficient.

You may also login to the Laurier Windows Virtual Desktop and use its software for much of your course work. This saves you from installing course software on your own PC, but as a browser-based front end, its performance may not be up to that of your own PC.

Python is a programming language used extensively on the World Wide Web. Eclipse is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) program. Together with the PyDev plug-in it eases the task of writing and executing programs written in Python. Python, Eclipse, and PyDev are all freely available from the Internet, and we provide instructions for downloading and installing them in the Resources section of this page.

You are responsible for storing all your assignment and lab work on your own memory sticks or other media. We strongly suggest that you keep at least two copies of your work at all times, for memory sticks can fail, or be lost.


Resources

CP104 Software Installation
Instructions for installing CP104 course software at home.
Using Eclipse / PyDev
An introduction to creating projects in Eclipse / PyDev.
PyDev Problems
Some typical problems when using PyDev.
Configuring PyDev
Configuring PyDev when you create a new workspace.
A Free Textbook
How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with Python: a free textbook available for downloading.
Python Library Reference
This library reference manual documents Python's standard library, as well as many optional library modules.
Style Guide for Python Code
A style guide for Python from the creator of Python.
https://wiki.python.org/moin/
The Python wiki.