an AAC app: Day Three

yesterday’s ‘challenges’ made me think. in trying to set-up my ‘old’ Mac desktop for development, certain components needed required me to ‘upgrade’ to a newer model.

while people use ‘backward compatibility’ to sell more units, for users with disabilities as most aren’t ‘financially independent’ this is a ‘major consideration’ as they probably don’t have the ‘disposable income’ to replace their existing phones with a newer model. That said, there are two ‘issues’ here that we shouldn’t conflate: 1. having contributors with ‘more advanced configurations’, and 2. ’cost-effective’ phones that allow users to run the app.

the other thing that made me pause, is despite my own lived experience i defaulted to my ‘primary instinct’ to code first as a former software engineer – call it ‘force of habit.’ it seems more sensible to start with constructing ‘paper prototypes’ to refine requirements. given my ‘challenges in writing’, i’m now looking at digital tools for this to prioritise design, but there’s no reason to completely stop coding so i can also learn from this experience and continue ‘to scratch that itch.’

an AAC app: Day Two

Task(s) done today:

• test update of readMe file, and
• uploaded first React Native app (think it’s right…)

Task(s) underway:

• Configuring development environment in Mac and ‘testing’ first app

an AAC app: Day One (Part C)

have tried downloading and installing the Visual StudioCode app (using React Native for the prototype ) to ‘test modifying’ the readme file in the GitHub project (two birds and all, but still trying to figure this out instead of resorting to do it manually). The month of January has been allocated to a ‘build to learn prototype’ – preparing to throw one away per the software engineering practice. The next month, after experimentation, is meant to help establish ‘baseline requirements’ to inform a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) if you will. Afterwards, succeeding releases are optimistically scheduled at the beginning of each month and deliberately twice the length of a ‘two-week sprint’ as most contributors have a day job’ and some take ‘longer’ for most physical tasks; and to try to build in a ‘midpoint jump’ per the research. Moreover, this timeline isn’t only consistent for users and contributors, and is ‘loosely-based on Steve McConnel’s. Staged Delivery and Design-to-schedule methodologies Finally, you’ll notice i’ve taken ‘a cafeteria-like approach’ to software development and am generally open for discussion of things that may help app ‘quality.’

Have purposely started on Jan. 1 to try and take advantage of what Prof. Katy Milkman of Wharton refers to the ‘fresh start effect.’

I’m usually just ‘productive’ only about four hours a day given my Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) compounded by headaches from recent visual ‘issues’ – it must be due to ‘adrenaline and excitement’ given the amount ‘worked’ today, but I’ll ’surely pay’ for this tonight. i make this ‘explicit’ for two main reasons: 1) to better manage expectations (hence my ‘reliance’ on contributors), 2) as a user with Complex Communication Needs (CCN), i’m hoping to ‘constantly road test’ this and to be empathetic enough that my own use-case is also ‘beneficial’ to others.

when possible, i’ll try to do some work everyday so as to try to form a habit (ufortunately, the research isn’t consistent and spans anywhere from ‘chains of straight days” of three weeks up to 100 days) and as an economic technique known as a commitment device.

an AAC app: Day One (Part B)

here’s the GitHub project link:

https://github.com/LinsAbadia/AAC

i’m currently working on a ReadMe ‘iteration.

an AAC app: Day One

i’m initiating (with the help of some friends) an ‘open source, cross-platform, community-based, app’ for an Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) for the mobile phone. i’m not a ‘big advertiser’, but i’m hoping to ‘pique the interest’ of ‘more potential contributors.

i’ve used GitHub before but mostly not as a ‘primary.’ Have set up a few sites before (a long while ago) as part of MOOCs so i can ‘share’ my code for ‘evaluation.’ My ‘goal’ (given my physical limitations) today is to set-up the project page – will post the link once i’m done. 

“how long is a piece of string?”: on string conversion from integers in Python

i’m not a theoretical physicist so i don’t know much about (super) string theory except that it’s supposed to be a unified “theory of everything” (bridging Einstein’s general relativity and the field of Quantum Mechanics: in short, making the “physics of big things” consistent with the “physics of small things” and that there are n-dimensions in reality. i say n because , for some reason, i thought there were 17 and when i consulted the web: some said 10, 11, or 26 (proving you can’t rely on it for accurate information and that my main take away is some things don’t have to seen in order for their existence to be believed). but i digress…

here are samples of “simple” conversions from integer to string in Python:

https://github.com/LinsAbadia/Python/blob/master/Transformations/BI_String_Integer.ipynb

“transmogrification”: on (data) type conversion and Python

transmogrify is my favourite word i learned from the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes. i like it because there are sometimes muliple “layers”.

Python has some built-in functions to do some “basic” type conversion. however, i’ve learned “recently” that sometimes additional conversion is required to “prove mastery” (aside from logic) so my next discussions should involve these to be more pragmatic.

what you sees is what you get: on data “visualisation” using Python

i’m currently taking: Applied Plotting, Charting & Data Representation in Python and have been introduced to a “relevant” model.

as validated by my years of professional experience in ICT, communication is a major part. as technologist, we almost only always focus on the processing and analyses of information. i’m glad that Data Science “explicitly emphasises” the importance of also communication of results. most people just refer to it as IT (but that IMHO is an “antiquated” form of thinking}. not just because it was “recently” rebranded as ICT by some governments and agencies, but because it highlights the other part of the equation and is a much more holistic approach to technology.

for your reference, here’s the Visualization Whee/ by Alberto Cairo:

i also added it to my GitHub repository:

https://github.com/LinsAbadia/Python/blob/master/Visualisation/VisualizationWheelAlbertoCairo.jpeg

first things first: data “cleaning” in Python as an initial step in exploratory data analyses

i’ve “shared” something a bit unusual as this Jupyter notebook is comprised of all “Markdown” (and no Python Code) cells as it mainly talks about the initial step required referred to as data “cleaning”. some “transformations” are warranted after importing datasets before working with them or performing Exploratory Data Analyses.

as it is mainly words it may be “ambiguous” ( as everything seems “obvious” to me ) to some. kindly let me know if there are things that aren’t “clear” or can be explained much better so i can post these. or if you know of supplementary (hyper)links or other resources “freely” available online, please let me know so i can make sure to include them.

my updated GitHub repository is at:

https://github.com/LinsAbadia/Python/blob/master/Analyses/Transformation.ipynb

location, location, location: the use of loc vs. iloc with DataFrames in Python

to “complete” “slicing” DataFrames, i discuss loc and iloc. i think this enough to cover the “basics” of Python. as you know, i will start trying to delve into statistics to a.) further my skills, and b.) see if i can be “useful” to my wife.

i was always planning to tackle “advanced” topics -it was just “accelerated” sooner rather later.

here’s something i “shared” so i can “move on” to statistics :

https://github.com/LinsAbadia/Python/blob/master/DataFrames/LocVIloc.ipynb

That said, i can consider revisiting “past” topics based on feedback.