# Getting Started

## 1. Read Course Information Pages

{% content-ref url="master" %}
[master](https://backend-course.cornellappdev.com/master)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="sp26-syllabus" %}
[sp26-syllabus](https://backend-course.cornellappdev.com/sp26-syllabus)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## 2. Apply to the course

{% content-ref url="apply-to-take-the-course" %}
[apply-to-take-the-course](https://backend-course.cornellappdev.com/apply-to-take-the-course)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## 3. Enroll on Student Center

Like all other courses, you must enroll yourself on Student Center before the add deadline. For your convenience, our course code is **16289**. This is not the permission number--this is just the code you use to find our course on Student Center.

## 4. Add Ed Discussion 

We use Ed to manage classroom communications and answering student questions. The course Ed discussion is linked on the left sidebar underneath `Getting Started.`

Join the Ed here: <https://edstem.org/us/join/jw7GCq>

{% hint style="danger" %}
Even if you do not anticipate asking questions, Ed will be the main method of communication between students and course staff, so take advantage of it!
{% endhint %}

## 5. Install & Get Acquainted with Recommended Tools

Completing assignments will rely heavily on three tools: Python, a text editor, Postman, and the command line.&#x20;

### Install Python

Before you do anything, make sure that you have Python 3.9.12 installed. The reason is that our course runs testing scripts that use 3.9+ features.

{% embed url="<https://www.python.org/downloads/>" %}

Check your Python versions to make sure you'll be using the right one. Notice that if you have both Python2 and Python3, you may have to use `python3` when you're running it as a command so that your computer knows only to use version 3.

```
$ python --version
Python 2.7.15

$ python -V
Python 2.7.15

$ python3 --version
Python 3.9.12

$ python3 -V
Python 3.9.12
```

### Install a Text Editor

{% embed url="<https://code.visualstudio.com/download>" %}

### Install Postman

{% content-ref url="cheat-sheets/postman" %}
[postman](https://backend-course.cornellappdev.com/cheat-sheets/postman)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Know Command Line Basics

{% content-ref url="cheat-sheets/command-line" %}
[command-line](https://backend-course.cornellappdev.com/cheat-sheets/command-line)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## 6. Prepare for Chapter 1

Our first lecture will introduce you to how computers communicate over the web and our demo will introduce you to the `Flask` python package which we will use throughout the course. We recommend watching a previous semester's lecture recording or reading the textbook chapter before coming to lecture.

{% content-ref url="chapters/routes" %}
[routes](https://backend-course.cornellappdev.com/chapters/routes)
{% endcontent-ref %}

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