Title	useful_repos
Author:	Rory Creedon (rcreedon@poverty-action.org)
Use:	Repo contains one .md file that links users to useful repos

Useful GitHub Repos for IPA/J-PAL Staff

Follow your colleagues as they tackle new technologies to get the job done! Learn from past projects and collaborate on new ones.

Information and use - This repo is intended to link users to repos created by IPA/J-PAL staff that might of use to IPA/J-PAL staff undertaking work in similar fields. Currently the contents of the repo is a sole useful_repos.md file. This could be expanded to contain other documentation as need develops. If you wish to add your project to this list, or add other documents then fork the repo in the normal manner. Alternatively contact the author at the given address if you have suggestions/additions that you prefer to make via email. If the status of the repo is 'closed' that means that the repo is published for information purposes, if the repo is 'open' then the author may be looking for collaborators.

Currently the links will be organised according to the following headings:

• Github
• Stata Programs
• General Python
• Pandas/Scipy
• R
• Python in DataNitro
• Pythonista
• Data Visualisations

See below for more information

Github
Github is a social network that started as a developer's collaborative platform. GitHub is now the largest on-line storage space of collaborative works that exists in the world. Github is great a great way to allow others to access your projects, to find collaborators and to manage workflow on projects. Additionally GitHub allows user to post snippets of code ('gists') that can be stored and shared. A library of gists can be created such that you never need to search through your cstored code again to find the snippets you were looking for. The is a Chrome add in called GistBox that allows you to search and store and share your gists in a very user friendly way. There are number iOS/Androd apps that also allow you to browse, save and create gists.

This section is devoted to repos that contain useful information, examples and tutorials that will help users get to grips with git.

Title	link	Status	Description
Markdown Cheat Sheet	https://github.com/adam-p/markdown-here/wiki/Markdown-Cheatsheet#wiki-tables	NA	Use this to learn how to write in markdown. Always consider adding a Readme.md file to your repo so that users can instantly understand what you are trying to achieve, and what your code is supposed to do.

**Stata**
Stata is the stats and data management program that we all know and love. Some of our very own staff are writing very cool programs for stata.

This section is devoted to repos developed by IPA/J-PAL staff that showcase programs written for stata and code that relates to data work. Let's see some of the magic our staff are working with the economist's most favoured stas package!

Title	link	Status	Description

**General Python**
Python is a widely used general-purpose, high-level programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability. What python can't do ain't worth doing (from the author's perspective anyway).

This section is devoted to repos developed by IPA/J-PAL staff that utilise python for tasks that fall outside of the Pandas/Scipy universe (see below). Get in on the python action!

Title	link	Status	Description

**Pandas/Scipy**
Pandas is the python library developed by Wes McKinney. The flexibility and objects available to python programmers are enhanced by the DataFrame object and the NumPy objects (ndarrays) upon which the library is built. SciPy is the python library that will do your serious analysis for you as well as some hardcore scientific computing. Get to know this library and the world of data will bow down before you.

This section is devoted to repos developed by IPA/J-Pal staff that showcase code that uses pandas/Scipy for data work. Once used the user will never look back!

Title	link	Status	Description
ExceltoPandas	https://github.com/RMGProjects/Excel_to_Pandas	Open	A library that takes a multi-worksheet excel file and a descriptive workbook structure object such as that created by the WorkbookFunctions module (see below) and extracts data from each sheet and concatenates it into a single data set. Useful especially when excel data sheets are irregularly spaced.
PySurveyClean	https://github.com/RMGProjects/PySurveyClean	Open	A project in development stage to provide tools for survey cleaning optimization.

**R**
R is a free software programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics. The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software and data analysis. The author has no experience with R, but hears that a lot of very awesome people are using it. Who will triumph, pandas or R? We wait with baited breath!!!

This section is devoted to repos developed by IPA/J-Pal staff that showcase code that uses R for data work.

Title	link	Status	Description

**Python in DataNitro**
DataNitro is an Excel add in that allows user to execute python scripts in excel. Build data collection tools that use the familiar excel GUI, create a spreadsheet that is backed by a web scraper. Utilise the full force of python inside your excel workbooks! This is real!

This section is devoted to repos developed by IPA/J-PAL staff that showcase programs and tools developed in python for execution in excel using DataNitro. Can you hear VBA crying in the corner?

Title	Link	Status	Description
RMG Marketing	https://github.com/RMGProjects/RMG-Marketing_Program	Closed	A data collection tool for use in a telemarketing project
WorkbookFunctions	https://github.com/RMGProjects/WorkbookFunctions	Open	A library for collating Excel worksheets, performing checks on dates, columns values and associated tasks. Designed to describe perfectly the structure of worksheets that may have irregular spacing. Key output is a workbook structure object that describes each sheet which can then be used in conjunction with a pandas.ExcelFile object to extract relevant data. See ExceltoPandas module (above) for more information about that process.

**Pythonista**
Pythonista is quite possibly the most exciting iOS application out there. It allows user to program directly into their iOS devices thereby creating applications. The best python modules are included (save numpy/pandas and scipy, sad face), as well as pythonista modules that allow users to get access to their other apps, the iOS file directory, graphics, dropbox, camera. The works. Create create create!!! And guess what, you can even convert your work to Xcode and get your apps in the AppStore!

This section is devoted to repos developed by IPA/J-PAL staff that showcase applications and tools developed in Pythonista.

Title	Link	Status	Description
RMG Observations	https://github.com/rmgprojects/rmg-observations	Open	An application for data collection and worker observation in sweater factories.

**Data Visualisations**
Gone are days of boring graphs. Ours is the time of interactive graphs, 3D graphs, moving graphics. Tell a story with you data. With libraries like matplotlib, projects like nodebox and many others, data is no longer something of science, but pop science fiction!

This section is devoted to repos developed by IPA-J-PAL staff that showcase new and interesting ways to visualise data.

Title	link	Status	Description