Development Environment

To get started, you'll need to check out the master branch of the mapping_workshop repository from GitHub. For those of you unfamiliar with git, you can just download a zip file of the repository by selecting the "Download Zip" option from the green "Clone or Download" button on the right hand side of the page. After it is downloaded, extract the contents and open the folder in your editor of choice.

The starter project has everything you need to get started mapping. To see the page as we're developing, you have two options:

  1. NodeJS: There is a package.json provided for you along with a configuration file for BrowserSync. Open a terminal, change directories to the mapping_workshop folder, and execute the command
    npm install
    Afer the dependencies are installed, run
    npm start
    and open a browser to http://localhost:9000. This page is served by a tool called BrowserSync, which will synchronize any browsers looking at the page (useful for mobile device testing) as well as automatically reload the page when you make changes to the source files.
  2. Python: If your machine has python on it, you can quickly serve web pages by opening a terminal, change directories to the mapping_workshop folder, and execute the command
    python -m SimpleHTTPServer
    Then, open a browser to http://localhost:8000

Once you can open a web browser and see the starter project, you'll be ready to move on to making maps! If you have problems, raise your hand and a TA will be by to assist you.

Further Reading

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