RECODE is a project-oriented course designed to train BAM researchers with practical skills in scientific software development. It bridges the gap between day-to-day research work and modern software development practice by focusing on code that is clear, reproducible, maintainable, and reusable.
The course combines Python programming fundamentals with tools and workflows that help participants design, build, document, and share research software. By the end of the course, participants should feel more confident structuring their code professionally, using version control, working with modern AI coding assistants, and packaging their work for others.
- Module 1 - Foundations of Python Coding
- Module 2 - Git and GitHub for Version Control
- Module 3 - Using Large Language Models (LLMs) for Coding Assistance
- Module 4 - Packaging and Distributing Python Projects
- Module 5 - Productive Development Environment
The documentation site is built with Zensical and configured through
zensical.toml. The source pages live in docs/.
- Python 3.12
uv
uv sync --devRun:
uv run zensical serveor directly:
zensical serveZensical will print a local URL in the terminal. Open that address in your
browser to preview the site while editing pages in docs/.
uv run zensical buildUse the build command before publishing or when you want to confirm that the navigation and Markdown pages render cleanly.
RECODE follows a hands-on and project-oriented approach. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops and, ideally, a real project or idea they would like to develop during the course. For those without a project, example topics based on open-source resources can be provided.
We structure the course as follows:
- The course is divided into modules, each centered on one software development topic.
- Each module is divided into sections with short theory, live examples, hands-on exercises, and optional quizzes.
- Modules are presented in sessions of roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, typically one session per week.
- After each module, participants should have time to work on their own projects with support from trainers and peers.
RECODE is intended as a repeatable training format that can evolve over time and support continuous learning at BAM.
Participants are expected to use Visual Studio Code (VS Code) as their primary Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Basic usage of the interface (opening folders, running scripts, using the integrated terminal) will be covered early in the course, while more advanced features are introduced later. VS Code is available through the BAM Software Portal.
Participants are also asked to install Miniforge3. Setup guidance for standard BAM laptop configurations is included in the course material.
Participants are encouraged to create a GitHub account and share their username with the course organizers:
Participants can then be invited to the BAMResearch GitHub organization to store projects and practice version control workflows during the course.
The RECODE modules are designed to grow over time. Future additions could include topics such as working with Linux environments, Docker containerization, or scientific instrumentation software development, allowing BAM researchers to deepen their software development expertise step by step.
