editz
[tools.git] / index.md
Alex Sadleir 1 Welcome to the GovHack toolkit. This page provides all the information you need to prepare hackfest entries.
Maxious 2 These tools can be used to make entries like: mobile apps, web apps, data visualisations/infographics
Alex Sadleir 3
4
5 # General Data Hacking and Programming References {#general-data-hacking-and-programming-references}
Maxious 6 ## The basics of being a data scientist
Maxious 7
Alex Sadleir 8 * Have a hypothesis - even if you're making a tool/api that helps people with their questions too, remember what the objective of that is.
9 * Find the people and tools you need to prove/show/find. This rest of this page will help with the latter.
Maxious 10 * Analyse and present results - were they what you expected? Do they help explain to others what you have found out? Can present as a interactive data visualisation or a web/mobile application or just a infographic/motion graphics video that tells a story.
Alex Sadleir 11 Please note, there are a combination of Analysis and Visualisation tools in each of the major categories below.
Maxious 12
Maxious 13
Maxious 14 [![](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-participate-in-GovHack_html_m6a65720f-300x199.gif "Data Journalism Diagram")](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-participate-in-GovHack_html_m6a65720f.gif)</dt>
Maxious 15 Illustration from Data Journalism Handbook, CC BY-SA 3.0</dd>
Maxious 16
Maxious 17
Maxious 18 The best high level reference is the 'Understanding Data' and 'Delivering Data' chapters of the Data Journalism Handbook which is available online for free at
Maxious 19
20 [datajournalismhandbook.org](http://datajournalismhandbook.org/)
21
Maxious 22 You can learn the technical skills from scratch in Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics by Nathan Yau or for more advanced
23
Alex Sadleir 24 practical advice check out Data Analysis with Open Source Tools by Philipp K. Janert
Maxious 25
Maxious 26 For further reading in this space
27
maxious 28 [http://flowingdata.com/2012/04/27/data-and-visualization-blogs-worth-following/](http://flowingdata.com/2012/04/27/data-and-visualization-blogs-worth-following/)
Maxious 29
Maxious 30
31 **Statistics**
Maxious 32
Alex Sadleir 33 [http://greenteapress.com/thinkstats/html/index.html](http://greenteapress.com/thinkstats/html/index.html)
Maxious 34
35 **Programming**
maxious 36
Maxious 37 Programming is valuable skill for manipulating and displaying data.
38
39 Basic tutorials for a variety of languages are available for free online or you can learn
40
41 interactively with websites like [http://www.codecademy.com/](http://www.codecademy.com/#!/exercises/0). for JavaScript or [http://www.learnpython.org/ ](http://www.learnpython.org/)or [http://tryruby.org](http://tryruby.org/)
42
43 [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/JavaScript](https://developer.mozilla.org/en/JavaScript) - especially for web applications and visualisations, you'll need a basic understanding of JS. Common libraries like prototype or jQuery can help
44
45 **Accessibility/User Experience**
Alex Sadleir 46
47 WCAG guidelines not only make a web app accessible but make it a better experience for all users! Even if not making an app, good to consider these things to do and not do: [http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/](http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
48
Maxious 49 ## Who can be a hack day participant
50 - roles; coder, designer UX/graphics
51
52 ## Definitions
Alex Sadleir 53 - definitions, open licence reuse permissive hacker hack data journalism data bis UCX etc.
Maxious 54
Alex Sadleir 55 ## key datasets
Maxious 56 - key datasets, directory.gov.au gazetter/AEC electorates/suburbs/postcodes/LGAs
57
58 ## examples
Alex Sadleir 59
Maxious 60 ## The Open Budget
61
62 ## WeatherTree weather API
Alex Sadleir 63
64 ## PlanningAlerts
Maxious 65
maxious 66 [![Planning Alerts Screenshot](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-participate-in-GovHack_html_2f0199ff1-300x221.png "Planning Alerts Screenshot")](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-participate-in-GovHack_html_2f0199ff1.png)Description: Planning Alerts takes data from local government development applications and sends alerts to users based on what applications are lodged in their area.
Alex Sadleir 67
Maxious 68 Programming Language: Ruby
Alex Sadleir 69
Maxious 70 Source Control: [Git](https://github.com/openaustralia/planningalerts-app)
71
72 Issue Tracking: [Atlassian JIRA](http://tickets.openaustraliafoundation.org.au/browse/PA/)
73
74 ## LobbyLens
75
76 [![](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/129-Screenshot-LobbyClue_-_Chromium-300x180.png "LobbyLens screenshot")](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/129-Screenshot-LobbyClue_-_Chromium.png)
77
78 Description: Displays connections between government contracts, business details, politician responsibilities, lobbyists, clients of lobbyists, political donors and the location of these entities.
Alex Sadleir 79
Maxious 80 Programing Language: PHP
81
82 Source Control: SVN (Subversion)
83
84 Issue Tracking: A whiteboard
Maxious 85
86 ## Bus.lambdacomplex.org
Alex Sadleir 87
Maxious 88 [![](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-participate-in-GovHack_html_3789acae-300x253.jpg "Bus.lambda screenshot")](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-participate-in-GovHack_html_3789acae.jpg)
89
Alex Sadleir 90 Description: Online Canberra Bus Timetables and Trip Planner.
91
92 Programing Language: PHP/Ruby
93
94 Source Control: Git
95
96 Issue Tracking: Github
97
98
99 ## Developer Tools For Your Computer {#developer-tools-for-your-computer}
100
101 server admin / technical tools
102 many projects will require some kind of internet presence, webpage etc.
103 - css framework like bootstrap or zurb foundation
104 video tools, youtube video editor/slideshow, FOSS video editing tools
Alex Sadleir 105 - http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2008/11/11/relaying-postfix-smtp-via-smtpgmailcom/
106 - amon
107
Maxious 108 ### Source Control
109 Git / Subversion
maxious 110
111 [![](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-at-2012-04-29-172132-300x235.png "Git Screenshot")](http://progit.org/book/)
112
113 [http://progit.org/book/](http://progit.org/book/)
114
115 [http://svnbook.red-bean.com/](http://svnbook.red-bean.com/)
116
117 [http://tortoisesvn.net/](http://tortoisesvn.net/)
118
119 [http://code.google.com/p/tortoisegit/](http://code.google.com/p/tortoisegit/)
120
121 ### Task Tracking -
122
123 Issue/task trackers allow you to outline the tasks required for your project and assign them to people to do.
Maxious 124
125 [Trello](https://trello.com/) and [Workflowy](https://workflowy.com/) are free, lightweight project management tools suitable for a rapid project!
Maxious 126
Alex Sadleir 127 ## Hosted Developer Tools {#hosted-developer-tools}
Maxious 128
129 Can get many tools (source control, issue tracking) combined into one service cloud hosted so no setup required.
maxious 130
Maxious 131 ### Github
132 Git obviously but svn/hg interfaces are possible. Provide their own GUI for Windows/OSX or use the variety of Git capable tools
Alex Sadleir 133
Maxious 134 ### Sourceforge
Alex Sadleir 135
Alex Sadleir 136 Subversion, Git, Mercurial, Bazaar, CVS, issue tracker, wiki, release file downloads. Unlimited free use for open source projects.
Maxious 137
138 You can create your own Sourceforge project at [http://sourceforge.net/](http://sourceforge.net/)
Alex Sadleir 139
Alex Sadleir 140 ### Google Code Project Hosting
141
142 Git, Mercurial, and Subversion code. Issue tracker, wiki, release file downloads. Unlimited free use for open source projects.
143
144 You can host your Google Code project and get access to developer tools, APIs and documentation at [http://code.google.com/](http://code.google.com/)
maxious 145
146
147
148 # API Development {#api-development}
149
150
Maxious 151 So an API isn't just an XML file ![;)](http://www.govhack.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
152
Maxious 153 A good web based data API:
154
155 * Is logically organised
maxious 156 * Can filter returned data
Maxious 157 * Can return results in different open formats (CSV/JSON etc.)
158 * Is efficient an