Python Course for Geoscientists

26 Oct 2021, 09:00 → 29 Oct 2021, 15:45 Europe/Berlin

Fabian Wachsmann (DKRZ), Jannek Squar (Uni HH), Karin Meier-Fleischer (DKRZ), Marco Kulüke (DKRZ), Ralf Mueller (DKRZ)

In today's world, there is usually no way around the Python programming language in the geosciences. However, learning Python on your own is usually associated with many difficulties and leads only to unsatisfactory results, which is why this course was developed especially for beginners.

Python is an easy to learn but powerful programming language. It has abstract data structures and a simple approach to object-oriented programming. The very extensive standard library offers almost everything you need. And if you need something more specific, you can usually download it for free from third-party distributions.

This workshop will take place via Zoom videoconference.

 

Attention

Due to the high demand, the course was fully booked within a short period of time. Unfortunately we have closed the registration.

By virtue of the enormous response, we will offer further courses in the near future. Therefore we ask for your patience.
Thank you for your understanding.

 

Tuesday, 26 October

Day 1: Morning sessions

1 Welcome

A short welcome to the participants and speakers.

2 Hardware for Python: Difference between a supercomputer and your mobile phone

• what is a node, cpu
• Historical development
• Architecture

10:00 Break

3 What is Python – short intro

• Difference between programming language and Python
• Assembler, compiler, interpreter

10:45 Break

4 Introduction to Linux system and setting up work environment

• terminal
• via WSL
• command line and shell: (basics to transfer/run files and data in/out Mistral)
• editor

12:00 Lunch Break

Day 1: Afternoon sessions

5 Installation

• conda
• python
• modules/environments
• envkernel conda --name=kernel-name --user $conda-env
• python-related package management
• testing installation and libraries

13:30 Break (optional)

6 Version control, code sharing

• git
• gitlab
• get the workshop material (in $HOME)

14:15 Break (optional)

7 Jupyter notebooks, connecting to Mistral

• Jupyter lab
• Jupyter hub
• Jupyter lab

Wednesday, 27 October

Day 2: Morning sessions

8 Warmup about content of Day 1

9 Syntax, variables, data types, strings, ...

• Syntax
• Variables
• Data types
• Strings
• List, tuples, sets, and arrays, slices
• Dictionaries
• Intro to logic and (binary algebra, bit, byte)

11:00 Break

10 Copy objects, math operators, conditions, ...

• Copying objects, deep copy
• Mathematical operators and math functions
• Conditional statements
• Iteration
• Loops
• List comprehensions

13:00 Lunch break

Day 2: Afternoon sessions

11 Functions, classes, scripts, ...

• Functions
• Classes and methods
• Command line arguments for python scripts

Thursday, 28 October

Day 3: Morning sessions

12 Warmup about content of Day 2

13 File I/O, numpy, ...

• File I/O (file and stdin)
• CSV
• Numpy

11:00 Break

14 Read/Write netCDF, GRIB files, exeptions, ...

• xarray
• Exceptions/Error handling/Logging, and Debugging

12:30 Lunch break

Day 3: Afternoon sessions

15 Data analysis

16 Python in action (GLOBAGRIM)

Friday, 29 October

Day 4: Morning sessions

17 Warmup about content of Day 3

18 Visualization

• matplotlib and cartopy
• Numpy's and xarray's plot

10:45 Break

19 Interesting packages

Overview of some recommendable packages

12:15 Lunch break

Day 4: Afternoon sessions

20 Exercise

15:30 The End