.. _atom-and-hydrogen-introduction:

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Atom and Hydrogen Introduction
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What is Atom?
=============

.. image:: https://seeklogo.com/images/A/atom-logo-19BD90FF87-seeklogo.com.png
   :target: https://seeklogo.com/images/A/atom-logo-19BD90FF87-seeklogo.com.png
   :alt: Atom Logo


**"A hackable text editor for the 21st Century."** *- Atom's slogan*

Atom is a popular and highly customizable text file editor, most commonly used to write code.

Text Editor vs. IDE
-------------------

Programmers choose to write their code in one of two kinds of programs, each with different features:

.. list-table::
   :header-rows: 1

   * - Text Editor
     - IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
   * - Like `Notepad++ <https://notepad-plus-plus.org/>`_
     - Like `Eclipse <https://www.eclipse.org/>`_
   * - Fast
     - Run code in the IDE
   * - Takes up less space
     - Restructure messy code
   * -
     - Check code syntax
   * -
     - *And many more...*


Atom starts out as a blazingly fast text editor with unlimited customization. Because of that, you can install exactly how many plug-ins you need to add features that are normally unique to IDE's, allowing you to strike the balance between a text editor and an IDE.

Why use Atom?
-------------

* Atom works well with `Git <https://git-scm.com/>`_ and
  `Github <https://github.com/>`_\ , which serve a similar purpose as Google Drive, but for code.
* Atom is open source, fulfilling AguaClara's commitment to open source
  technology.
* Atom can be automatically customized to be ready for use in AguaClara.
* Atom lets you collaborate with other team members on the same document in
  real time, much like with Google Drive.

We've omitted an Atom-specific tutorial because it's so easy to use. But if you want to learn more about Atom, check out the `Atom Flight Manual <http://flight-manual.atom.io/getting-started/sections/why-atom/>`_.

Markdown in Atom
----------------

Atom is useful for editing Markdown files and preview them nicely:

#. Open **Atom** and open an already existing Markdown file or create one using the ``.md`` extension.
#. Press ``Ctrl + Shift + M`` to open a formatted preview on the right.

   * If a preview didn't show up, review the instructions on :ref:`installing-on-macos` or :ref:`installing-on-windows`.

All Markdown files are simply **text files with the ``.md`` file extension**.


What is Hydrogen?
=================

.. image:: https://camo.githubusercontent.com/a0076b9d69ea4b02d89c95a611140debd250b9962a11946de2315a91ec2ced87/68747470733a2f2f63646e2e7261776769742e636f6d2f6e7465726163742f687964726f67656e2f31376564613234352f7374617469632f616e696d6174652d6c6f676f2e737667
   :target: https://camo.githubusercontent.com/a0076b9d69ea4b02d89c95a611140debd250b9962a11946de2315a91ec2ced87/68747470733a2f2f63646e2e7261776769742e636f6d2f6e7465726163742f687964726f67656e2f31376564613234352f7374617469632f616e696d6174652d6c6f676f2e737667
   :alt: Hydrogen Logo

**An Atom package that lets you run Python code within Markdown files.**

If you have previous experience with Jupyter Notebooks, you'll find many of the same features with Hydrogen:

* Running code interactively
* Checking data from experiments
* Performing calculations
* Drawing data plots

Why use Hydrogen?
-----------------
* Hydrogen allows you to complement the information in your reports with Python code.
* Hydrogen and Python are open source, fulfilling AguaClara's devotion to open source software.

**If you're new to Python, or would like a refresher, start with** :ref:`python-basics`.

**If you have experience with Python, go to** :ref:`python-packages`.