[omaha] help getting started

[Adam Shaver]

Ted,

I use anaconda python (link <https://www.continuum.io/downloads>). It is a
free python sandbox for scientific programming) when coding python from
Windows 10. I find the sandbox is a little bit safer than trying to install
it into the Windows Program Files (and later worrying about version clash).
Anaconda comes with Scipy and Numpy, which I'm sure you book will cover.

As per IDE (and IDLE indirectly), my suggestion would be to use a
combination of the Jupyter (IPython) notebook for in-line toy-problem
composition with a command-line (or IDLE) to drive bigger things. If you
were solving some PDEs of voltage potentials, then you might want to work
it out in a notebook. When it's developed into an object oriented piece of
code, then you could drop it into your simulation harness and drive it via
the command-line or IDLE. At that point, you could (should) probably write
unit tests.

Best,
Adam


On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 9:04 AM, Ted Warren via Omaha <omaha at python.org>
wrote:

> Hello,
>
> My name is Ted Warren, Ph.D. I am a post-doctoral researcher at Creighton
> University. I am a synaptic physiologist who studies neuronal circuits
> involved in epilepsy. I am interested in started to write code using
> Python, but I need some help. I have been going through the following text
> to learn how to use Python within the context of my field: A primer on
> scientific programming with python, 3rd Ed. by Hans Petter Langtangen.
>
> I have been unable to download the IDLE on my computer with Windows 10. I
> have seen on the web that there is a bug and have been unable to find
> anyone on the web who has been able to circumvent the problem for my
> computer.
>
> I was wondering if there is anyone here that could help me. I cannot get
> off the ground learning until I get the IDE up and running.
>
> Just FYI, python is popular in neurophysiology for analyzing and modeling
> neural circuits ( e.g., these two neurons signal via a capacitative
> coupling mechanism ). I am just trying to catch up with some of colleagues.
>
> If I need to go somewhere else to get an answer for my question, any
> suggestions for directions would be appreciated.
>
> Thank you ahead of time,
>
> Ted
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