Resources for Contributors
==========================
Pre-requisites
--------------
Python
++++++
For the mentored sprints, we will be using `Python `_.
Installing all of Python's research packages individually can be a bit
complicated, so we recommend using `Anaconda `_ which
provides a variety of useful packages/tools.
To download Anaconda, follow the link https://www.anaconda.com/download/ and select
Python 3. Following the download, run the installer as per usual on your machine.
Git
+++
`Git `_ is a version control software that records changes
to a file or set of files. Git is especially helpful for software developers
as it allows changes to be tracked (including who and when) when working on a
project.
To download Git, go to the following link and choose the correct version for your
operating system: https://git-scm.com/downloads.
GitHub
++++++
GitHub is a web-based service for version control using Git. You will need
to set up an account at https://github.com. Basic GitHub accounts are
free.
Text Editors
++++++++++++
Text editors are tools with powerful features designed to optimize writing code.
There are several text editors that you can choose from.
Here are some we recommend:
- VS code. Download at: https://code.visualstudio.com/.
- Atom. Download at: https://atom.io.
- Pycharm. Download at: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/.
We suggest trying several editors before settling on one.
Your local environment
++++++++++++++++++++++
Bring your own laptop. Setting up your local environment can be time-consuming,
and the step can vary from one project to another. We recommend that you check out the
contributing guidelines of the project that you're interested in, and pre-install the
requirements before coming to the sprint. If you're stuck in any way, let us know so we
can help. We have also requested each of the projects that signed up to have their
contributing guidelines up to date by **April 3rd**.
Additional Resources
---------------------
- Step-by-step guide for making your first Pull Request to an open-source project: https://slides.com/cheukting_ho/1st_pr