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Quick start

Is this thing on?

Perhaps you've followed a link to a Jupyter notebook and want to try running the code. But when you click a cell, or hit Shift+Enter, nothing happens. Why?

Notebooks can be viewed as static (read-only) documents, or run as live (interactive) resources. Static versions are just web pages, there's no computing environment sitting underneath for the code to run in. Both GitHub and NBViewer display static versions of Jupyter notebooks.

But don't worry, it's easy to shift from a static view to a live environment using Binder.

Opening a notebook in Binder

Binder is a cloud-based service that creates customised computing environments for Jupyter notebooks to run in. You give Binder a list of the software you need and it spins up a server ready to go.

If you're viewing the static version of a notebook in GitHub or NBViewer

Running notebooks

Sharing notebooks using NBViewer

Sharing notebooks using Binder

What is a Jupyter notebook?

Distinguish between the notebook format and the software used for viewing or running.

Why are they useful?

  • reproducibility
  • exploration
  • learning
  • tool and tutorial

What do you need to get started?

Nothing -- Binder & cloud services

Is this thing on? (viewing vs running)

Static views vs running a notebook live

NBViewer

Links to Binder, GitHub etc.

It's alive!

Options for running notebooks.

Classic vs Lab

Separate sections for:

  • Binder
  • Tinker
  • Swan
  • DIY
  • nteract
  • Atom / Hydrogen

Binder

Tinker

Swan

DIY

App Mode and Voila

Inside a notebook

Types of cells

Running a cell