This page describes various details which may need to be taken care of in preparation for giving a course. It is intended as a comprehensive check-list of things to do to prepare for a successful class at your instutition.
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The course is largely driven by slides projected from my laptop computer. Live demos of Python programming and code snippets are also carried out during the class, so I need to project my screen. In general, laptop projectors have been available where I taught courses, but if you are not equipped with a projector, let me know and I'll make arrangements to bring one.
For the practical exercises, it is necessary that some of the students have access to a computer. One computer per person, or one for groups of 2 or 3 students will do fine (people sometimes learn more when they work together, as they will tend to identify problems and ask questions earlier).
Any computer running any operating system (Linux, Windows, Mac) that can install and run Python should be fine. I recommend to use Python 2.5 or 2.6 during the class, but older versions will do. The CPython interpreter runs just about everywhere, so this should not be a problem.
It is preferable if the machines are located in the same room that the class is delivered, as this avoids unnecessary moves and allows the students to test code during the presentations. Laptops are the ideal way to go for most setups.
For the exercises, the standard Python documentation is freely available online, and I will bring a USB key with copies of all necessary documentation for students to use locally in case no internet access is available. If the lab computers do not have access to the internet during the lab sessions, they should have a CD-ROM drive or working USB key from which the software and documentation can be loaded.
I will bring binaries to install the Python interpreter for all platforms. The first lab session will be dedicated to setting up the machine, interpreter and editor to be able to develop short Python programs, but it is preferrable if you can setup the Python interpreter and your favourite editor, as this will allow the students to start working at the exercises right away, from the very first lab session.
Note
You can find the Python interpreter for various platforms at http://python.org. We recommend that you install the latest stable version.
We will be writing programs during the course. You should make sure that your favourite text editor is installed and configured on the student computers. We generally recommend Emacs, but simpler editors will do as well. As a fallback solution, the students will be able to use the IDLE IDE that comes with Python (if TkInter is installed).
You will probably need a web browser to consult the Python documentation during the lab sessions.