Github in the classroom

While I have used github before in previous projects, this semester I have begun to dig deeper into it’s uses. Codespaces is one such use, and is an important tool to learn and use properly. While we have gone over github codespaces and git command line use in class, sometimes looking around online can help streamline the experience. Github themselves post their own blogs relating to their site’s recourses, and codespaces is no exception.

10 things you didn’t know you could do with GitHub Codespaces

This github blog details all of the various uses of their codespaces, and offers good suggestions, background, and description of both what it is, and why you should be using it. Mostly, this blog details the features that are both useful but not often utilized, as well as details why these features are helpful tools.

I chose to talk about this blog post (with my blog post, haha) because this is a tool that I personally have used, but didn’t really know too much about. I was told to use it in class for x y and z, but never really thought about how valuable it actually is. I only have experience with VS code and other Microsoft IDEs, but it’s cool to know that codespaces supports much more than just that one IDE. as well as this, I think it is extremely convenient to have access to a workspace without setting up everything locally, and am excited to try to learn how it better utilize this feature, as I realized that this feature has directly impacted my class experience; The professor only needed to give us a repository, and we were ready to work on our assignment, with no setup or install hassle!

Another feature of that I am now excited to try is live sharing. Live sharing allows you and other people to work in the same code file at the same time, similar to having multiple people in one google doc. It even shows where their cursor is and everything! I think this feature could significantly improve the group project experience, as previous years I’ve been frustrated with how annoying it is to work on the same code together with my group.

Lastly, codespaces allows you to easily manage all of your working areas, and makes file management easier to, well, manage! In my previous classes, I’ve found the most difficulty in the storage and file layout of my projects, which impacts how/if it runs at all on my local device. Being able to manage this and keep everything more separated with codespaces should, in my opinion, help with these troubles.

This concludes my mandatory blog post of Quarter 1 for the semester.

Till the next one,

— Will Crosby

From the blog CS@Worcester – ELITE Computer Science by William Crosby and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Please enjoy a congratulatory firework display to celebrate (shot by yours truly).

So, what are we about?

Welcome to my blog! My name is Will, and plan to document my experiences as a CS student, starting with this post! As the semester kicks off, not too much is happening in my academic world at the moment, but I doubt things will stay as calm as they are…

While this blog was requested as documentation for one particular class that I am enrolled in this semester, I figure I could use it for all of my classes… why waste a blog, ya know?

In terms of tone, I intend to keep it light and fun. While a strictly ‘professional’ blog would probably be better for the impending job search (I say impending like it hasn’t already started), I would rather not feel like slogging through a chore every time I sit down to write for this, so fun it is (sorry future me…)!

In case you wanted to know more about me, (I know you want to), I’m currently a Junior is WSU’s Computer Science program. I enjoy the subject material, and am always interested in electronics and software design. As well as this, I’m a photography hobbyist, read a hefty amount of fantasy and sci-fi literature (Hobb is the goat), enjoy model kit building, and have an unseemly fountain pen collection (to the average person… I’m nowhere close to those actual collection freaks). Lastly, my current music fix is Laufey — (It’s currently playing as I write this).

Anyway… at the current moment, I’ve not much to say, but soon I’m sure once syllabus week is concluded, there will be more to come. Also, do please excuse my excessive use of parenthesis, I was having fun.

Once again, welcome to the ELITE CS student experience.

– Will

From the blog CS@Worcester – ELITE Computer Science by William Crosby and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.