2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
1
Welcome to the GovHack toolkit. This page provides all the information you need to prepare hackfest entries.
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
2
These tools can be used to make entries like: mobile apps, web apps, data visualisations/infographics
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
3
4
# How to register and submit your entry
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
5
## registering your team
2013-03-06 04:05:46
Maxious
6
TODO how to use website "Hacker Space" to register and find teams etc.
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
7
8
## preparing your submission
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
9
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
10
You should record a 3 minute speech and mix images/text to accompany.
2013-03-07 22:18:14
Maxious
11
http://www.screenr.com/ and other screencasting tools allow you to demo apps.
2013-03-21 11:02:25
Maxious
12
To mix together clips, you can use youtube video editor http://www.youtube.com/editor or local software like http://www.videolan.org/vlmc/ or http://www.lwks.com/
2013-03-07 22:18:14
Maxious
13
2013-03-21 11:02:25
Maxious
14
You also need to submit your "source material". For an application this may be source code, for another work it might be your notes or prototypes.
2013-03-07 22:18:14
Maxious
15
The key thing here is that your source material demonstrates to the judges that some of the end result was your own work and that it is possible for another person to replicate that work.
2013-03-21 11:02:25
Maxious
16
2013-03-07 22:18:14
Maxious
17
2013-03-06 04:05:46
Maxious
18
# General References {#general-data-hacking-and-programming-references}
19
20
## Who can be a hack day participant
2013-03-07 22:18:14
Maxious
21
- roles; coder, designer UX/graphics
22
23
## Definitions
24
- definitions, open licence reuse permissive hacker hack data journalism data vis UX etc.
25
26
## The basics of being a data scientist
27
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
28
* 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.
29
* Find the people and tools you need to prove/show/find. This rest of this page will help with the latter.
2013-03-03 10:00:40
maxious
30
* Analyse and present results - were they what you expected? Do they help explain to others what you have found out?
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
31
Can present as a interactive data visualisation or a web/mobile application or just a infographic/motion graphics video that tells a story.
2013-03-07 22:18:14
Maxious
32
33
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
34
[![](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>
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
35
Illustration from Data Journalism Handbook, CC BY-SA 3.0</dd>
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
36
37
2013-03-03 10:00:40
maxious
38
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
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
39
40
[datajournalismhandbook.org](http://datajournalismhandbook.org/)
41
42
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
43
44
practical advice check out Data Analysis with Open Source Tools by Philipp K. Janert
45
46
For further reading in this space
47
48
[http://flowingdata.com/2012/04/27/data-and-visualization-blogs-worth-following/](http://flowingdata.com/2012/04/27/data-and-visualization-blogs-worth-following/)
49
50
51
**Statistics**
52
53
[http://greenteapress.com/thinkstats/html/index.html](http://greenteapress.com/thinkstats/html/index.html)
54
2013-03-03 10:00:40
maxious
55
**Programming**
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
56
2013-03-03 10:00:40
maxious
57
Programming is valuable skill for manipulating and displaying data.
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
58
Basic tutorials for a variety of languages are available for free online or you can learn
59
60
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/)
61
62
[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
63
64
**Accessibility/User Experience**
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
65
66
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/)
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
67
2013-03-03 10:00:40
maxious
68
69
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
70
## examples
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
71
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
72
## The Open Budget
73
74
## WeatherTree weather API
75
76
## PlanningAlerts
77
78
[![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.
79
80
Programming Language: Ruby
81
82
Source Control: [Git](https://github.com/openaustralia/planningalerts-app)
83
84
Issue Tracking: [Atlassian JIRA](http://tickets.openaustraliafoundation.org.au/browse/PA/)
85
86
## LobbyLens
2013-03-01 03:43:59
Maxious
87
88
[![](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)
89
90
Description: Displays connections between government contracts, business details, politician responsibilities, lobbyists, clients of lobbyists, political donors and the location of these entities.
91
92
Programing Language: PHP
93
94
Source Control: SVN (Subversion)
95
96
Issue Tracking: A whiteboard
97
98
## bus.lambdacomplex.org
99
100
[![](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)
101
102
Description: Online Canberra Bus Timetables and Trip Planner.
103
104
Programing Language: PHP/Ruby
105
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
106
Source Control: Git
107
108
Issue Tracking: Github
2012-09-29 13:05:38
Maxious
109
110
2013-03-03 10:00:40
maxious
111
## Developer Tools For Your Computer {#developer-tools-for-your-computer}
112
113
server admin / technical tools
114
many projects will require some kind of internet presence, webpage etc.
115
- css framework like bootstrap or zurb foundation
116
- css gauges http://www.larentis.eu/donuts/
117
- bootstrap themes, web fonts, css sprites, icon fonts
118
- http://designmodo.com/flat-free/ http://designmodo.github.com/Flat-UI/
119
120
- http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2008/11/11/relaying-postfix-smtp-via-smtpgmailcom/
121
- amon
122
123
### Source Control
124
Git / Subversion
2013-03-07 22:18:14
Maxious
125
126
[![](http://www.govhack.org/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-at-2012-04-29-172132-300x235.png "Git Screenshot")](http://progit.org/book/)
2013-02-28 04:29:45
Maxious
127
128
[http://progit.org/book/](http://progit.org/book/)
129
130
[http://svnbook.red-bean.com/](http://svnbook.red-bean.com/)
131
132
[http://tortoisesvn.net/](http://tortoisesvn.net/)
133
134
[http://code.google.com/p/tortoisegit/](http://code.google.com/p/tortoisegit/)
135
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
136
### Task Tracking -
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
137
2012-09-29 13:05:38
Maxious
138
Issue/task trackers allow you to outline the tasks required for your project and assign them to people to do.
139
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
140
[Trello](https://trello.com/) and [Workflowy](https://workflowy.com/) are free, lightweight project management tools suitable for a rapid project!
2013-02-27 10:12:02
Alex Sadleir
141
142
## Hosted Developer Tools {#hosted-developer-tools}
143
144
Can get many tools (source control, issue tracking) combined into one service cloud hosted so no setup required.
145
2013-03-03 10:00:40
maxious
146
### Github
147
Git obviously but svn/hg interfaces are possible. Provide their own GUI for Windows/OSX or use the variety of Git capable tools
148
149
### Sourceforge
150
151
Subversion, Git, Mercurial, Bazaar, CVS, issue tracker, wiki, release file downloads. Unlimited free use for open source projects.
2013-03-01 01:11:15
Maxious
152
153
You can create your own Sourceforge project at [http://sourceforge.net/](http://sourceforge.net/)
2013-03-01 04:32:26
Maxious
154
155
### Google Code Project Hosting
156
157
Git, Mercurial, and Subversion code. Issue tracker, wiki, release file downloads. Unlimited free use for open source projects.
158
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
159
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/)
160
2013-03-01 04:32:26
Maxious
161
162
2013-03-24 05:01:56
Alex Sadleir
163
# API Development {#api-development}
164
165
166
So an API isn't just an XML file ![;)](http://www.govhack.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
167
168
A good web based data API:
169
170
* Is logically organised
171
* Can filter returned data
172
* Can return results in different open formats (CSV/JSON etc.)
173
* Is efficient and responsive by using caching and databases appropriately