Week 4 session 2: Github workflow; more on modules

Recording

Week 4 session 2 recording

Schedule and plan

• Github workflow and the final project.

More on modules, with some practice

Notes:

• on_modules.
• Four dimensions exercise

git clone https://github.com/nipraxis/first_module
cd first_module
python3 -m IPython

then (in IPython):

run spm_funcs.py

On debugging.

Some more background

• Reshape and 4D
• Voxels and time
• Reading text files
• Voxel time course exercise

On the benefits of searching for the right solution

We discussed the phenomenon that scientific programmers often stall at a certain level, and do not continue learning.

The key to learning is deliberative practice, as Peter Norvig discusses in his page Teach Yourself Programming in 10 years.

On the other hand, being good at programming quickly has some costs. Peter Norvig notes that Google employees do slightly less well if they have previously won a programming competition, and speculates this is because the best programmers think hard and for a long time about the right solution. We recommend this course to you, of taking time to reflect on the right way to solve each problem.