Applied Programming 2026

Welcome, Students! 👋

This repository contains exercises and materials for the Applied Programming course in 2026. We're excited to have you on the first version of this course!

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Exercise Preparation

Before starting the exercises, please complete the following setup steps. This ensures that everyone has a consistent development environment.

1. Create a GitHub Account

You will need a GitHub account to access repositories and submit your work.

• Sign up here: https://github.com/

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2. Install Git

Git is required to clone and manage repositories.

• Download Git: https://git-scm.com/downloads

• Verify installation (optional):

git --version

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3. Install Python 3.13

We will use Python 3.13 for this course.

• Download Python: https://www.python.org/downloads/

• Make sure to check "Add Python to PATH" during installation (Windows)

• Verify installation:

python --version

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4. Install an IDE (Choose One)

You need a code editor or IDE to work on the exercises.

Option A: PyCharm (Recommended)

• Download: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/
• Student license (free): https://www.jetbrains.com/community/education/#students

Option B: VS Code

• Download: https://code.visualstudio.com/
• Recommended extension: Python (by Microsoft)

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5. Install uv

We use uv to manage Python dependencies.

Windows:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

macOS / Linux:

curl -sSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | bash

• Official documentation: https://github.com/astral-sh/uv

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✅ Final Check

Before proceeding, make sure:

• GitHub account is created
• Git is installed and working
• Python 3.13 is installed
• IDE is installed
• uv is installed

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Getting Started

Fork the Repository

Before you start, click the "Fork" button on GitHub (top right of this repository page). This creates your own copy of the repository under your account.

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Cloning the Repository

Now you will download your fork to your computer.

Step 1: Open a Terminal (Command Line)

If you have never used a terminal before, here are simple ways to open one:

Option A (Recommended – easiest):

• Open the folder where you want to store the project (e.g., Documents)
• Right-click inside the folder
• Select "Open in Terminal" or "Open PowerShell window here" (Windows)

Option B:

• Press Windows Key + R
• Type cmd and press Enter

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Step 2: Navigate to a Folder (if needed)

If you opened cmd directly, you may need to move to a folder where you want to store the project.

Use the cd command ("change directory"):

cd Documents

You can always check where you are with:

pwd

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Step 3: Clone Your Repository

Go to your fork on GitHub and copy the repository URL (green Code button).

Then run:

git clone YOUR_FORK_URL

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Step 4: Open the Project Folder

After cloning, move into the project directory:

cd applied-programming

You are now ready to start working with the project locally.

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Setting Up Your Environment

After installing uv and cloning the repository, simply run:

uv sync

This will install all required dependencies for the course exercises.

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Running Exercises with Marimo

We will use Marimo, a reactive Python notebook, for some exercises. Marimo notebooks are stored as pure Python files (.py) and can be run interactively as web applications.

To run the first exercise, navigate to the project's root directory in your terminal and execute:

uv run marimo run exercises/01/01_understand_git.py

This command launches the exercise as an interactive app in your browser.

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Recommended Tools

Here are the IDEs that we previously worked with and thus know how to fix most problems:

• PyCharm Professional - Full-featured Python IDE (free for students)

  • Download: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/
  • Student license: https://www.jetbrains.com/community/education/#students

• VS Code - A lightweight, powerful code editor with excellent Python support

  • Download: https://code.visualstudio.com/

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Caution

Be wary of "vibe coding" - where AI tools generate complete code based on vague requirements. For effective learning, YOU should provide the programming approach and logic.

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Course Structure

Each week's exercises will be organized in separate folders. Check the course schedule for deadlines and requirements.

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Getting Help

• Use the course forum for questions
• Attend office hours
• Form study groups with classmates

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Happy coding! 🚀