Resources

Running Notebooks

All class materials and practices are .ipynb (Jupyter notebook) files. Download them from the course website and run them in one of two ways.

Option A — Coder (Recommended)

Calvin provides a cloud-based JupyterLab environment through Coder — nothing to install.

Log in at coder.cs.calvin.edu with your Calvin credentials
Open your workspace — Python, JupyterLab, and all required libraries are pre-installed
Download the .ipynb file from the course website
Upload it to your workspace (drag-and-drop into the JupyterLab file browser, or use the upload button)
Double-click the file to open it, then run cells with Shift + Enter

Tip: files persist in your workspace between sessions — always save before closing.

Option B — Local Installation

If you prefer to run notebooks on your own machine:

Install Anaconda — includes Python, JupyterLab, and most scientific libraries
Open a terminal (Anaconda Prompt on Windows) and install any missing libraries:
```
pip install plotly otter-grader
```
Download the .ipynb file from the course website into a local folder
Launch JupyterLab:
```
jupyter lab
```
Navigate to the file in the JupyterLab file browser and open it

Jupyter Notebooks — Key Concepts

A notebook is made of cells — each is either code (Python) or text (Markdown)
Run a cell with Shift + Enter; output appears directly below
Cells share state within a session — variables defined in one cell are available in all others
Order matters: run cells top-to-bottom; re-run earlier cells if you change them
Restarting the kernel clears all variables — you’ll need to re-run from the top
Before submitting, use Kernel → Restart & Run All to confirm your notebook runs clean

References:

JupyterLab documentation
Jupyter keyboard shortcuts
Markdown cheatsheet — for formatting text cells

Autograding with Otter

This course uses otter-grader for automatic feedback on in-class exercises and practices.

When you open a notebook, the first cell initializes the grader:

import otter
grader = otter.Notebook("notebook_name.ipynb")

After completing each task, run the check cell below it:

grader.check("task_name")

A ✅ means your answer passes the tests. If it fails, read the message and try again. For class exercises, this is just for your own feedback — nothing is collected. For practices, the same tests are used when your notebook is graded.

Installation (only needed for local setup — Coder already has it):

pip install otter-grader

Core Libraries

Version Control

All code is managed with Git and hosted on GitHub.

Sign up for GitHub — use your .edu email to get the Student Developer Pack for free
Git cheat sheet (PDF)
GitHub quickstart guide

Key commands:

git add .
git commit -m "description of changes"
git push