Discover how to tackle the Count Words problem from Coursera UMich using GitHub. This guide explains coding, repository creation, and collaboration to enhance your learning experience.

How to Use GitHub to Solve the Count Words Problem from Coursera UMich

If you are taking the “Python for Everybody” course offered by the University of Michigan (UMich) on Coursera, you might encounter an exercise called “Count Words.” This problem helps students practice Python’s file handling, string manipulation, and dictionary skills. Leveraging GitHub can simplify solving and sharing this assignment. Here, we’ll walk you through the process and offer tips to succeed.

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What is the “Count Words” Problem?

The “Count Words” problem requires you to read a text file, count the frequency of each word, and display the results. This exercise strengthens skills in:

• Opening and reading files.
• Splitting strings into words.
• Using Python dictionaries to count occurrences.

For example, given a file text.txt containing:

Hello world! Hello Python learners.

Your Python script should output:

{'Hello': 2, 'world!': 1, 'Python': 1, 'learners.': 1}

Why Use GitHub?

GitHub is an essential tool for version control and collaboration. For Coursera students, it offers several advantages:

1. Code Backup: Keep your solutions safely stored.
2. Collaboration: Share and discuss your code with peers.
3. Portfolio Building: Showcase your learning journey to potential employers.
4. Version Control: Track changes to your code over time.

Steps to Solve “Count Words” with GitHub

1. Set Up Your Environment

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

• Python installed on your computer.
• A GitHub account.
• Git installed and configured.

2. Write the Python Script

Here is a simple solution for the “Count Words” problem:

# Open the file
filename = input("Enter the file name: ")
try:
with open(filename, 'r') as file:
text = file.read()
except FileNotFoundError:
print("File not found!")
exit()

# Split text into words
words = text.split()

# Count word occurrences
word_count = {}
for word in words:
word_count[word] = word_count.get(word, 0) + 1

# Print the result
print(word_count)

3. Create a GitHub Repository

1. Log in to your GitHub account.
2. Click on New Repository.
3. Name it something like coursera-umich-count-words.
4. Add a description, e.g., “Solution to the Count Words exercise from UMich’s Python course on Coursera.”
5. Choose Public or Private.
6. Click Create Repository.

4. Upload Your Code to GitHub

1. Open your terminal or Git Bash.
2. Navigate to the folder containing your Python script:

cd /path/to/your/code

Initialize Git in the folder:

git init

Add your script to the repository:
git add count_words.py

Commit your changes:

git commit -m "Initial commit: Count Words solution."

Link your local repository to GitHub:

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/coursera-umich-count-words.git

Push your code to GitHub:

git push -u origin main

5. Share and Learn

• Share Your Repository: Share your GitHub link with peers for feedback.
• Explore Other Solutions: Browse GitHub to find alternative approaches to the problem.
• Collaborate: Use issues and pull requests to discuss code improvements.

• FAQs

  1. How do I install Git on my computer? To install Git, visit git-scm.com and download the installer for your operating system. Follow the instructions to complete the setup.

  2. What if my code doesn’t work? Start by debugging the error messages in your Python script. You can also compare your solution with others on GitHub or ask questions in Coursera’s discussion forums.

  3. Can I use libraries like collections.Counter for this problem? Yes! Using collections.Counter is a great way to simplify the word counting process. Example:

from collections import Counter

filename = input("Enter the file name: ")
try:
with open(filename, 'r') as file:
text = file.read()
except FileNotFoundError:
print("File not found!")
exit()

word_count = Counter(text.split())
print(word_count)

4. Is it okay to look at others’ GitHub repositories for this problem? Absolutely! Reviewing others’ code can help you learn different approaches. However, avoid directly copying solutions without understanding them.

5. How do I make my repository stand out? Add a clear README.md file explaining the purpose of your code, how to use it, and what you learned.