Python

You should now be using Python 3.x. Python 2 should not be used - the lab PCs should have been updated.

Python can be used for almost all data gathering tasks and many data processing tasks as well. There are a huge amount of libraries available to use for a variety of scientific tasks. The general rule is whatever you are trying to do, someone will have already done it and probably put it online for you to re-use. That said you should utilise caution when re-using code. Make sure you understand what it is doing to output the data. If you are planning to publish data you need to be certain you know what it is - this goes for code written by other group members as well.

A good place to get started with Python is the Anaconda distribution (https://www.anaconda.com/). It is designed with science in mind and comes lumped with lots of the libraries you will need for science tasks (numpy etc). It also comes with an IDE - Spyder - which is useful when you're starting out as it is more interactive - think of it sort of like a Matlab style interface. Please don't install anaconda on the Lab PCs as it is a bit bloated and unnecessary. Just develop your code in the IDE and run it in standard python in the lab, install dependent libraries as they are needed.

A good introduction to Python

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/

See also here for lab scripts based on Python

https://sites.google.com/site/quantumsensorsglasgow/lab-information/python-scripts