WEEK 01 Principles and Practices, Project Management

PRINCIPES & PRACTICES:

FINAL PROJECT IDEA

DESCRIPTION

FnessCat is a cat gym that consists of several smart devices. The primary component is a food dispenser that provides exercise rewards (ideally low-calorie snacks). This device works wirelessly with three additional exercise machines:

1. Wireless Button: A simple wireless button that triggers snack release when pressed. The idea is to place it far enough so the cat must travel a certain distance to earn the reward.
2. Climbing Tower or Wall: This device recognizes when the cat climbs to the top, signalling progress with lights and sounds. Upon reaching the top, the cat is rewarded with a treat.
3. Treadmill Wheel: Equipped with a distance sensor, this device can be programmed to specific goals (e.g., 100 meters). Like the other devices, it signals progress and dispenses a reward once the target is achieved.
4. Future Expansions: There are possibilities to extend the system with additional types of devices.

The reward system uses signals like lights and sounds that are easily recognized by cats but not disruptive to humans, ensuring the device remains functional without being annoying.

The idea came from noticing that two of my cats clearly get far too little exercise during the day. Naturally, they tend to be more active at night, which is when humans rest. The goal is to create a smart device that encourages cats to move and burn calories at night- without disturbing their owners.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT:

WORKFLOW PLAN

Wednesday is the new Monday! 😊

I’ll plan each of my week's tasks ahead.

For my final project, I’ll divide it into smaller tasks and try to fit them into weekly assignments to advance my work using a spiral development approach.

I got a notebook, a Pomodoro timer, and set up *https://www.notion.com/*, an app for note-taking that will help me upload photos directly from my phone and take quick notes while working. Notion can also export files directly to HTML, which will speed up my documentation process.

I plan to use https://chatgpt.com/ to edit my text and correct any grammar mistakes! :)

POWERSHELL TERMINAL

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/install/installing-powershell-on-windows?view=powershell-7.5

PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language designed for task automation and system management in Windows (that I'm using) though it also works on Linux and MacOS. It helps users automate repetitive tasks, manage system configurations, and control applications through commands and scripts. I created my local folder with the help of chatGPT (I use it to ask questions and explain the comands).

I used PowerShell and help of ChatGPT to create a folder:

GIT

Git is a version control system that helps track changes in code, making it easy to collaborate with others and revert to previous versions if needed. It allows developers to manage projects efficiently by storing code in repositories, either locally or on platforms like GitHub or GitLab that we're going to use.

INSTALLING GIT:

1. https://git-scm.com/ dowload.
2. install GIT using Windows PowerShell command: winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget

3. copy the URL from your online repository

   

git init                                                    // Start Git
git clone [url]                                             // Retrieve an entire repository from a hosted location via URL (only need to do it once)                                        
git config --global user.name "Your Name"                   // Set a name that is identifiable for credit when reviewing version history
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"     // Set an email address that will be associated with each history marker

1. Because I logged into GitLab with my FABLAB account, I needed to use a token. I created it in Edit Profile > Access Tokens.

   

2. “GIT MANTRA” how to upload files to your online repo

git pull                        // Fetch and merge any commits from the tracking remote branch
git add .                       // Add all changes to the staging area
git status                      // Show modified files in working directory, staged for your next commit
git commit -m "Commit message"  // Commit your staged content as a new commit snapshot
git push                        // Transmit local branch commits to the remote repository branch

VISUAL STUDIO CODE

https://code.visualstudio.com/

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a lightweight, open-source code editor developed by Microsoft, offering features like IntelliSense, debugging, Git integration, and extensions for various programming languages. It is highly customizable and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it a popular choice for developers.

I signed the student agreement in Visual Studio and added it to my GITLAB repo using PowerShell & GIT.

HTML

I used https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp website and ChatGPT to learn basics of HTML. I started applying it to my pages. Below the code examples with explanation and how it looks online:

<!DOCTYPE html>                       // Defines the document type and version of HTML
<html>                                // Root element of an HTML document
   <head>                             // Contains metadata about the document
      <title>Page Title</title>       // Sets the title of the web page (displayed in the browser tab)
   </head>
   <body>                             // Contains the visible content of the webpage
      <h1>Main Heading</h1>                        // Defines a top-level heading
      <p>This is a paragraph.</p>                  // Defines a paragraph of text
      <a href="https://example.com">Click Here</a> // Creates a hyperlink to another page
      <img src="image.jpg" alt="Image Description">// Displays an image with alt text
      <ul>                                         // Defines an unordered list
         <li>Item 1</li>                           // List item
         <li>Item 2</li>
      </ul>
      <button>Click Me</button>                       // Creates a clickable button
      <input type="text" placeholder="Enter text">    // Creates a text input field
    </body>
</html>

MKDOCKS

https://www.mkdocs.org/getting-started/

MkDocs is a static site generator written in Python. That means it runs on Python and requires it to function. Here's why:

1. MkDocs is a Python package – You install it using pip, which is Python's package manager.
2. MkDocs uses Python to build your site – When you run mkdocs serve or mkdocs build, Python processes your Markdown files and turns them into an HTML site.
3. Plugins and themes – Many MkDocs themes and plugins are also written in Python, so they need Python to work.

SETTING UP MKDOCS IN VISUAL STUDIO CODE

1. Installing PHYTON on my computer https://www.codingforentrepreneurs.com/guides/install-python-on-windows

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its simplicity, readability, and versatility. It is widely used in web development, data science, automation, artificial intelligence, and many other fields due to its extensive libraries and easy-to-learn syntax.

1. First problem. It was installed on another path which would be impractical to type

   

   I created this shortcut with help of chatGPT

   

   

2. I followed the next steps

   

   Just now my command is phyton -m pip install pip —upgrade

   Pip is the package manager for Python that allows you to install, update, and manage third-party libraries from the Python Package Index (PyPI). It simplifies dependency management, enabling developers to easily add functionality to their Python projects with commands like pip install package_name.

3. I Intalled MkDocs using pip install mkdocs

4. I created Virtual Environment folder called “myvenv”

   A virtual environment (venv) is like a separate workspace for your Python project. It ensures that:

   • Isolated Dependencies – Your MkDocs installation won’t interfere with other Python projects or system-wide packages.
   • Version Control – Different projects can have different versions of MkDocs or plugins without conflicts.
   • Easier Management – You can install, update, or remove packages without affecting the rest of your system.

   

5. PROBLEM: virtual environment doesn't work.

   According to Microsoft Tech Support it might be a problem with Execution Policy Settings. To fix it, you should try executing Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process, and AGREE to all.

   

   *Also remember to be in the right folder while activating virtual environment.

6. This folder contains all the requirements needed to run my web, but I don’t want it to be uploaded to my online repository. So I added txt file called .gitignore and inside I indicated the file that should not be included

   

7. Now every time I would like to see my website on a local server running I activate my virtual environment where MKdocs is installed and can copy the link to the browser

   .\myvenv\Scripts\activate         // activate the virtual environment
   mkdocs serve                      // generates a link for viewing life changes in my website                                     
   ctr+c or desactivate              // exit
   

   

8. Create a folder with requirements to run my website pip freeze ? requirenments.txt

   

9. I edit my website in VS Code by modyfing mkdocs.yml and my Markdown files (docs/ folder).

CHECKLIST:

Principles and Practices (part 1 of 2)

• Plan and sketch a potential final project

Project Management (part 2 of 2)

• Read, sign (add your name to) the student agreement and commit it to your repo
• Work through a git tutorial
• Build a personal website describing you and your final project. Refer to the lecture material for examples.
• Upload parts 1 and 2, to the class archive.

Learning outcomes

• Communicate an initial project proposal
• Identify and utilise version control protocol(s)
• Explore and use website development tool(s)

Have you answered these questions?

• Sketched your final project idea(s)
• Described briefly what it will do and who will use it
• Made a website and described how you did it
• Created a section about yourself on that website
• Added a page with your sketch and description of your final project idea(s)
• Documented steps for setting up your Git repository and adding files to it
• Pushed to your class GitLab repository
• Signed and uploaded Student Agreement