Requirements - developing environment about python-novice-gapminder HOT 9 CLOSED

Also, if we are using Rodeo (or something like that) we could skip the last section (Jupyter Notebook) and shave 35 min off of the lesson.

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The environment/editor question is a tough one, and I don't think there is an optimal solution. All of them have quite a bit of cognitive load (running a script file requires the shell, as Greg wrote, Jupyter notebook has (too) many functionalities that will confuse learners). Anaconda comes with sypder, which I have a tried a little bit and like - it puts small warning signs in the margin if there is a syntax error, for example. Rodeo may be a good alternative, but will take time to become comfortable - there are two windows for python commands, one of them is IPython, not python, etc. One advantage is that learners may have seen, or will see, Rstudio, making the Rodeo/Rstudio combo a recognisable duo of environments.

Do we know what instructors are using, especially those that do not use Jupyter? Worth asking them?

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I don't remember when I installed it, but I have Rodeo 0.2.4 on MAC OS X Yosemity (10.10.5) and it works through Chrome.

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Here is another option: with python comes IDLE (on my mac /Users/username/anaconda/bin/idle). Starting IDLE gives a interactive python session (shell), with the possibility to open a separate window for a script, save the script and execute it in the shell. A bit clumsy, but it works for getting everyone started. Once learners are comfortable with it, they can switch to spyder (comes with Anaconda), textwrangler (MAC) or something similar?

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People have complained about IDLE's user interface ever since it was
created, and we can't ask Data Carpentry participants to run things from
the shell. And I just tried launching Spyder with Python 2.7 / Anaconda

• it hangs on my Mac as soon as I try to edit a file, possibly because
  it can't import something called 'hashtable' which I can't be bothered
  to try to track down. Does TextWrangler support in-editor execution?

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Does TextWrangler support in-editor execution?

Yes - but I think it is MAC only...

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sigh Why can't everyone just use VMS? Now there was an operating
system...

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I spoke with @tracykteal and we decided that the Notebook was the best option (at least for version 1).

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