Welcome

This is the companion site of the book Practical Computing for Biologists by Steven Haddock and Casey Dunn, available from Sinauer Associates.

The book shows you how to use general computing tools to work more effectively. In one place, it pulls together a broad range of powerful and flexible tools that are applicable to ecologists, molecular biologists, physiologists, and anyone who has struggled with large or complex data sets. Training in python and data processing is essential for biologists and other scientists. Going beyond the subjects taught in most programming and bioinformatics courses, the book covers:

• Reformatting data with regular expressions
• The Unix command line
• Combining and automating analyses
• Python programming and debugging
• Creating and editing graphics
• Databases
• Performing analyses on remote computers

A one-page flyer describing the book can be downloaded here

On this site you can download example files, seek help from other researchers, and give feedback about the book. You can also enter into conversation via our Facebook page.