| BNFO 601 |
Introduction to Perl and Personal Programming |
Fall 2012
|
Rationale
Bioinformatics is the art of working with massive amounts of biological information. Automated methods, hence computer programs, are indispensible. Computer programming is the most basic tool of bioinformatics, and those without an understanding of it are at an enormous disadvantage. You don't need to be an expert programmer, just as you don't need to be a professional race car driver to use an automobile. But you do need to be able to make sense out of a program and change it to fit your own purposes. You'll find that while computer programming to make applications used by the general public is a skill requiring considerable training and expertise, personal programming -- just for your own uses -- is relatively easy.
Strategy
Those who are already competent in a computer language - You probably don't need to spend a lot of time on much of the notes. Skim them to find areas you may be less familiar with, and focus on the special sections that summarize the salient features of Perl.
Those who are not already competent in a computer language - These notes are for you. They may seem like a lot, but they're useful only if you take an active role in your own education. Use them to guide your own investigations and experiments in the language.
Either way, please fill out the questionnaires below!
Notes
Introduction to Programming (Part I)
Introduction to Programming (Part II)
Programs
Presentations
Problem Sets & Self quizzes
Resources