#Computing Starter Kit
This document provides some guidance as to what tools and utilities you will need to get the most out of your Computing course.
##Programming At Long Road we use the Python 3 programming language for all courses. Therefore you should download and install the latest version of this on to your computer at home.
Please make sure that you get the latest version of Python 3. Currently this is 3.4.1.
###A2 Computing At A2 you will need more than the basic Python 3 installation. You should download and install the following packages:
- PyQt4 Mac or Windows
- Matplotlib
- Network X
It may be that there are newer versions of each of these packages. You should install the latest version of Matplotlib and Network X. For PyQt make sure that you are installing PyQt4 and not PyQt5.
##Programming Version Control One of the most important skills that you will learn during the year is how to properly manage your programs (source code). This is something that all professional programmers do and it is vital that you gain experience of the tools and methods they employ.
###GitHub GitHub is a web application where you can store and manage your code. This means that you can access the same files both in college and at home and also have access to view and edit your code on the web.
You will need to sign up for a free GitHub account.
Please choose a username and password you are going to remember!
###GitEye GitEye is a desktop application which allows you to manage your programs locally and then sync them with the GitHub website. You should download the latest version of GitEye for your own system.
There are a number of different applications that can perform this same job but GitEye is the one that we have installed in college and it makes sense to use the same application at home.
You will need to configure GitEye so that it can be used successfully.
##Classwork and Homework Aside from programming you will be asked to complete a number of assignments in class and at home. It is important that you are able to access all of your documents in both places.
###Homework Policy All homework should be completed with reference to the homework policy.
###Dropbox Dropbox is a utility that allows you to sync documents between computers and the Dropbox website. This means that you will always have access to your files.
If you do not already have a Dropbox account you should sign up for one.
At home you should download and install the Dropbox client application which creates a Dropbox folder. You should save all of your computing files into this folder and then Dropbox will automatically sync them to the website - this means that you can never forget your homework!
Unfortunately, it is not possible to install the Dropbox client application in college but you can upload and manage files through the website.
###Markdown A lot of your assignments will be provided to your in Markdown format. Markdown is a plain text format that is easy to edit in a simple text editor and which can be processed to produce good looking documents without much effort.
We use Markdown in Computing as it is a very common format used by programmers for documentation.
Whilst you can create and edit Markdown in a simple text editor you will want a viewer that is capable of converting the Markdown to a nice PDF so you can submit your homework assignments.
There are a number of different viewers and each have benefits and drawbacks. Below are some recommendations.
####StackEdit StackEdit is the recommended choice. It is a web application so it will work on any computer that has a modern web browser. It will also integrate with your Dropbox account so that you can sync files directly between the browser and your Dropbox folder.
StackEdit also provides good integration with MathJax and some diagramming libraries so it can be used to easily write mathematical expressions and also to design some diagrams without a drawing application.
However, in order to gain export to PDF functionality you must pay £3 as a donation to the project.
####Dillinger Dillinger is a similar web application to StackEdit but it is not as fully featured.
It does not provide MathJax or diagramming features and whilst it does integrate with Dropbox this is currently quite buggy.
If you are not prepared to pay £3 for StackEdit then this is a reasonable choice for use in college to edit and manage your files.
####Haroopad Haroopad is a desktop application that can be used to create and edit Markdown files. It is available for all platforms and provides MathJax integration. It will also allow export to PDF for free.
Unfortunately, it is not available in college and does not provide automatic syncing options with Dropbox. Again, if you are not prepared to pay £3 for StackEdit some combination of Haroopad and Dillinger might provide similar functionality.
###Diagrams Often you will need to create diagrams for your classwork and homework. There are many diagramming programs available but a reasonable one that is all free is LibreOffice Draw.
You should download and install this. It is possible just to install the Draw application rather than the whole LibreOffice suite if you prefer.
##A2 Coursework The A2 coursework has a large component of written coursework. It is recommended that you use LaTeX to write your coursework document. You can find more guidance about this on the COMP4 coursework page.