Python Environments and Flowcharts

This week kicked off the GIS Programming Course with readings, lectures, and assignments to introduce us to the world of Python. This includes getting to know the basics of python environments, both inside ArcGIS and with external IDES, as well as understanding how to break down coding processes using flowcharts. 

This is a simple flow chart I made to explain the process of calculating degrees from radians

The first assignment including running a simple code to set up our folders for the class. I copied it from the repository to my S drive and ran it in IDLE. Et voila! My folders are ready to go! I was curious to see if I could tweak the code. I usually do not use the Citrix workspace because I have ArcGIS installed on my laptop. I switched the language from the “# Create folders” section to read G:\\GISProgramming as I work from the Google Drive. There’s obviously more going on in the code than I can see as it didn’t work! This also lead me down a rabbit hole of reading about tracebacks.

We also pulled up the Zen of Python to contemplate. I think the poem expresses some of the guiding tenets of Python. From what I have read about the language, it was created to be easy to use with simple syntax that works across platforms and with programs that can interpret the code. Zen leans into these ideas to keep things straightforward and uncomplicated – explicit, sparse, easy and readable. I like that it starts off with beauty though, as simple things can still be beautiful.