VS Code for Python Development: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
Monday 2 March, 11:00 – 12:00
OxPop/BDI Seminar room 0

Led by – Dr Mcebisi Ntleki, DPhil, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford
Master Visual Studio Code, the world’s most popular code editor, through hands-on Python development. This practical tutorial takes you from installation to building a BMI calculator and health data analyser while learning professional development workflows. You’ll set up Python environments, manage dependencies, and master version control with Git and GitHub – all within VS Code’s intuitive interface. No prior experience with VS Code, Git, or virtual environments needed. By the end, you’ll confidently navigate VS Code, structure Python projects professionally, and collaborate using industry-standard practices. Perfect for medical science students ready to level up their research coding toolkit and work with reproducible, shareable code.

This session will cover:
1. VS Code fundamentals: Interface navigation, essential keyboard shortcuts, integrated terminal, and customisation options
2. Python environment setup: Installing extensions, creating and activating virtual environments, selecting interpreters
3. Package management: Working with requirements.txt, installing dependencies with pip, managing environment variables securely
4. Building a health data analyser: Creating a BMI calculator and patient data processor with CSV file handling and statistical analysis
5. Version control with Git: Initialising repositories, staging changes, committing, branching, and viewing history through VS Code’s interface
6. GitHub collaboration: Creating repositories, pushing code, working with branches, and creating pull requests without leaving VS Code.

Pre requisites:
1. Basic Python syntax knowledge (variables, functions, loops, conditionals)
2. Familiarity with basic file and folder operations on their computer
3. Ability to navigate their operating system and install software No prior experience with code editors, IDEs, version control, or command-line tools is required

Intended audience: Undergraduates, graduates, early researchers
Participants will need: A laptop (Windows, macOS, or Linux), Administrator access to install software. This is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) friendly session.

Pre-Course Preparation:
1. Install Python: Download and install Python 3.8 or later from python.org
2. Install VS Code: Download and install from code.visualstudio.com
3. Create a GitHub account: Sign up at github.com (free account is sufficient)
4. Install Git: Download from git-scm.com and complete basic configuration

Duration: 50 minutes for presentation and practical, 5 minutes practical exercises post session, 5 minutes – Q&A.

Registration: forms.office.com/e/mgHjvw8UBU?origin=lprLink