Workflows with Python and Git

Use skills together.

The sys library connects a Python program to the system it is running on.

The variable sys.argv is a list with each item being a command-line argument.

Make different branches in a Git repository to try different methods.

Use bash’s time command to time scripts.

Adding command line flags can be a user-friendly way to accomplish common tasks.

Avoid silent failures.

Avoid esoteric output when a program fails.

Add checkpoints in code to check for common failures.

Refactoring makes code more modular, easier to read, and easier to understand.

Refactoring requires one to consdier future implications and generally enables others to use your code more easily.

The __name__ variable allows us to know whether the file is being imported or run as a script.

Follow standard Python style in your code.

Use docstrings to provide online help.

Python supports a large community within and outwith research.