Talk:Python and Wikimedia bots workshop Oct 2013

This looks interesting, but I have a question about the intended audience. Jonathan Cardy has referred to this in an email as a "Python coding training session", but the word 'training' does not appear on the page. The expression "share coding best practices" might suggest that it's a workshop for experienced bot editors to get together to share coding tips. Is that the case, or is it intended to help train potential new bot operators? I'm not sure what you have in mind, Fae, but would something like this fit the bill?

The aim of the workshop is to to learn, discuss and share coding best practices when working with bots. Fae will cover how to write a Python script to do interesting things, and how to use the Wikimedia API and pywikipediabot modules.

The session is aimed at editors with at least some basic coding experience who would like to find out how to interface with the underlying Wikimedia software and to start working with bots. There will not be time during the session to teach programming from scratch, and participants should therefore have some basic knowledge of Python (at least to the stage where you have Python loaded on your machine and are able to write a few simple programs). Existing beginner/intermediate bot editors who would like to improve their skills are also welcome.

--MichaelMaggs (talk) 17:14, 13 September 2013 (UTC)

Thanks Michael, We are looking at repositioning the session at a more basic level than originally envisaged. Have taken much of your wording, thanks. Jonathan Cardy (WMUK) (talk) 09:07, 20 September 2013 (UTC)

I forgot to come back on this comment, apologies for that. I always had in mind re-structuring this session depending on the needs of the people interested, including a 101 session for (relevant) nuts and bolts of basic Python, such as how to take advantage of the most obvious Pywikipediabot functions. Those with examples and experience can share their stories in a workshop format and I would be happy to work as a cooperative group to address the "I've never understood how this works" type of question, no matter whether these are novice or advanced questions, rather than seeing this as a linear tutorial. My experience is as an enthusiastic volunteer Commonsist who has written some interesting bots over the last year or so (not just on Commons), sharing the hurdles and providing tips to make this easier for others is the outcome I would like to deliver. If it works well, we might think about laying down better practical guidelines for best practice too... --Fæ (talk) 12:26, 27 September 2013 (UTC)

Useful outcomes

Some useful outcomes, during or after the sessions, might include:

1. Improve the manuals generally, especially Pywikibot. --MichaelMaggs (talk) 14:34, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
2. Draft a walk-through tutorial for new bot programmers, with some simple examples. --MichaelMaggs (talk) 14:34, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
3. Write some simple utility routines to do common tasks and make them available online. --MichaelMaggs (talk) 14:34, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
4. ... add more here