DC Session 1 Basic Tools

Sunoikisis Digital Classics, Spring 2020

Session 1. Basic tools for the digital classicist

Thursday Jan 16, 16:00 UK = 17:00 CET

Convenors: Gabriel Bodard (Institute of Classical Studies), Barbara McGillivray (The Alan Turing Institute/University of Cambridge), Katharine Shields (UCL)

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/jho1rVGHcWM

Slides: https://github.com/SunoikisisDC/SunoikisisDC-2019-2020/raw/master/2020-Digital-Classics-slides/Spring-2020-session-1-slides.pdf

Session outline

This session will introduce a few basic tools for the digital classicist, which will be invaluable for the rest of this semester. Students should become familiar with the simple use of the commandline on their computer (Windows command and MacOSX/Unix terminal will be covered), the Git version control tool (via commandline or Github or similar interfaces), the use of regular expressions (Regex) for text manipulation, and the principles of open data and licenses.

• In preparation for this session, please install the Github Desktop tool. If you are running a Windows machine, you may also like to install a Git Bash emulator.
• If you do not already have a Regex capable text editor (e.g. BBEdit, Notepad++, etc.) you may to install Atom which is available in both Mac and Win versions.

Reference materials

• Commandline summary: https://enexdi.sciencesconf.org/data/pages/windows_vs_mac_commands_1.pdf
• Github help: https://help.github.com/en
• Git documentation: https://git-scm.com/docs
• Regex cheatsheet (simple): https://www.cheatography.com/davechild/cheat-sheets/regular-expressions/
• Regex cheatsheet (more complete): https://www.rexegg.com/regex-quickstart.html
• Regex 101: https://regex101.com/
• Journal of Open Humanities Data: https://openhumanitiesdata.metajnl.com/
• Dataverse: http://dataverse.harvard.edu/
• Figshare: https://figshare.com/
• Zenodo: http://zenodo.org/

Seminar readings

• Brunner, Theodore F. (1993), “Classics and the Computer: The History of a Relationship.” In Accessing Antiquity, ed. Jon Solomon, pp. 10-33. Tucson: U. Arizona Press.
• Crane, Gregory (2004). "Classics and the Computer: An End of the History." In A Companion to Digital Humanities, eds. Schreibman, Siemens, Unsworth, pp. 46-55. Oxford: Blackwell. Available: http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/
• Terras, Melissa (2010), “The Digital Classicist: Disciplinary Focus and Interdisciplinary Vision.” In Digital Research in the Study of Classical Antiquity, eds. Bodard, Mahony, pp. 171-189. Ashgate. Available: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/infostudies/melissa-terras/research/Chapter_10_Terras.pdf

Further reading

• See general bibliography

Exercise

• Text files: Murray's Iliad 1; Terence Hecyra; Latin inscriptions

1. Create an account on Github (or an alternative product such as GitLab or BitBucket if you really object to GH), if you don't already have one. Initialise a new Git repository for your work on the SunoikisisDC module, with a clear and simple name. Share the repository with your course tutor, and any other students you may collaborate with this semester.
2. Using one or more of the text files provided (or any other "messy" text of your choice) practice using Regular Expressions to clean up or otherwise manipulate the text. You may like to try some of:
   • identify (remove or add tags around) line numbers
   • identify (remove or add tags around) footnote numbers
   • add tags around proper names (start with capitalized words)
   • add paragraph breaks
   • any other improvements you can think of
3. Add copies of the text file both before and after your changes, and a file briefly describing the regex replacements you have made, to a folder within your Git repository, and push to the repo.