This is a short guide that highlights all of the tools & setup you need to be familiar with to settle into COMP1531. If you have any feedback please post on the forum.
1. Coding Environment
There are 3 main tools that you need to work with the majority of tasks in COMP1531. All of these 3 tools are already built-in to VLAB (remote access to a CSE machine).
If you are coding on your own local machine (i.e. not using vlab) then you will have to install these yourself.
The main tools are:
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Python
- Python is used to write programs. You write the programs in a text editor and typically run them via command line.
- For local installs, you will have to google how to install python on your machine/version.
- We use Python version 3.7.3 in this course. If you use other versions (preferably newer), please ensure it also works on the CSE machines where python3 is the appropriate version.
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For local machine python installation:
- On linux, run sudo apt install python3.7 in a terminal
- On mac, download and install git .
- On windows, install WSL and install it as you would on linux
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Git
- Git is used for version control. It allows you to keep track & store your labs & group project.
- Git is the program that allows you to manage repositories on your computer and communicate with gitlab (the cloud where your work is stored)
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For local machine git installation:
- On linux, run sudo apt install git in a terminal
- On mac, run brew install python3 in a terminal
- On windows, install WSL and install it as you would on linux
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Text Editor
- Text editors are used to write python code in the course
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Common editors include:
- VSCode (Already installed on Vlab, compatible on all local systems) (Recommended)
- Sublime Text (Can be installed on Vlab, compatible on all local systems)
- PyCharm (Not usable on Vlab, compatible on all local systems)
- Gedit (Already installed on Vlab, though only available on linux locally) (Not Recommended)
- many more...
2. Course Work
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Youtube
- Lectures videos are recorded and uploaded to Youtube and can be found here .
- Lectures cover the bulk of the content taught in the course
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Gitlab
- This is the tool where all your code for Tutorials, Labs, Major Project.
- Git is a programmers tool for version control (like history tracker) and collaboration (like dropbox / onedrive)
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You have a series of "git repositories":
- 1 for all of lectures/tutorials (read-only)
- 50~ git repositories for all of the lab activities throughout the course
- 1 shared repository for your group
3. Communication
There are three main communication platforms that are used in this course, and they can all be used without downloading any native applications:
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Zoom
- This is used only for tutorials and labs .
- You can connect to relevant zoom calls by choosing your class link on the tutorials and labs timetable .
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Blackboard Collaborate
- This is used only for help sessions .
- You can login into the COMP1531 moodle page, and then find the "Blackboard Collaborate" link which will open up Blackboard Collaborate. From there, there will be a single call named "Help Session" which will have tutors in it at the times listed on the help session timetable.
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Microsoft Teams
- This is used only for communicating with your other group members for the major project .
- You can connect to Microsoft teams by going here . Every UNSW student can log into Microsoft teams using their zid/zpassword
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EdStem
- This is used for the course forum.
- You can login to Ed by clicking the link on the sidebar . Ed is where you can ask literally any and all questions you have in 1531. Generally this is the place to go if you are outside your lab and outside a help session.
Other resources
The following resources may help you gain a better understanding of python and/or git.
Resource created Wednesday 27 January 2021, 04:14:25 PM, last modified Saturday 18 September 2021, 01:42:22 PM.