Today we are going to dive into several common tools that are part of Google’s suite of cloud-based products, allowing you to work with them anywhere that has an internet connection. These products are included in your Google account for free and are very common tools in the workplace.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a common tool you will encounter in your role as a software developer. Google Drive is a cloud-based file storage and synchronization tool that allows you to manage your files anywhere that can connec to the internet. Drive syncs with other Google Suite tools such as Docs, Slides, Forms, etc. and facilitates easy collaboration with other users.

Today we are going to spend some time setting up and organizing your Google Drive to help you get your Turing journey started on the right foot.

Directory Structures

On the job, it is critical to have an organized workspace on your computer - it allows you to work more efficiently by making it easier to find relevant files. One component of strong computer organization involves the use of directories or folders. Later in the program, you will learn to navigate your computer’s file structures using commands, rather than pointing and clicking. This is a skill that every professional developer needs to have in order to be successful!

In order to prepare you for this and to help with your organization, we recommend building a basic directory structure in your Google Drive. Remember, we recommend using your personal Google Mail address (not your @turing.edu) to set up your Google Drive.

Directory Setup Instructions

1. Log into your Google Drive using your credentials
2. In the top left corner, click the New button and select New Folder
3. Rename this folder Turing
4. Right click on the folder you just created and change the color
5. Double click the folder to enter your newly created Turing workspace
6. Repeat the steps above and create a new folder for each module, including Mod 0
   • Your folders should looks something like: Mod 0, Mod 1, Mod 2…
7. Create a new folder within your Turing workspace titled Professional Development
8. Create a new folder within your Turing workspace titled Career Readiness

Making Copies of Files + Adding to your Drive

For some of your work early in the program, we will ask you to make copies of files that we have created so that you can add your own insights and responses. This way you can have access to them in your own Drive and share them out later.

Making Copies of Files Instructions

1. Click on this link to go to the practice file
2. Click the File dropdown in the top left and choose Make a Copy
3. Save to your Mod 0 folder in your Turing workspace
   • You can adjust the Folder where you want to save this file. Be sure to use the back arrow in the pop-up menu to aide with navigation if necessary
4. In your own Drive, find the file you just made a copy of. Change the name to remove the “Copy of…” text
5. Spend the next 5 minutes quickly filling in your responses, which we will use in an upcoming activity

Moving Files

Google Drive allows you to easily move files from one folder/directory to another. There are two ways to do this:

1. You can right click on the file and choose the Move to option, which will bring up a menu similar to what you saw when copying a file.
2. You can drag the file into the visual representation of the directory structure above your file list

Take a few minutes to practice moving files back and forth using both methods.

Sharing Files + Permissions

One of the greatest benefits of Drive is the ability to easily share files, folders, etc. with your teammates and collaborating on work together. In order to do this, you need to know HOW to share a file and how to adjust the permissions. Permissions allow you to determine who has access to files that you send to others.

There are a few permission options:

1. Restricted - Only people with access can open the link
   • In order to give someone access, you need to be a part of your workspace. This likely won’t apply for your time at Turing, but will most likely be a part of your first developer role
2. Anyone with the link - Allows you to send the link to anyone, even if they are outside of your organization
   • This is a common way to send files that an outside client/vendor will need to use or access
   • You are able to select three different options within this setting:
     1. Viewer: Can see the file and make a copy if necessary
     2. Commenter: Can add comments to the file, but cannot adjust the content directly
     3. Editor: Can make adjustments directly to the file

Like most computer-related things, there are multiple ways to achieve the same results. Take a look at two ways to share a file and adjust it’s permissions.

1. Right click on the file and choose the Share option, which will bring up the menu to select who to share with + adjust permissions
2. Right click on the file and choose the Get link option, which will bring up the menu to select who to share with + adjust permissions

Let’s put this into practice.

1. Get a shareable link to your practice file that we just copied
2. Be sure the permission is set to Viewer
3. In the Slack thread, add your link to the thread. Rather than just paste a big, ugly link, write out “MY NAME Favorites” and add your link to the sentence you just typed out
   • Hint: Is there a way to add links to a Slack message?

Google Slides

Slides is Google’s version of Powerpoint - it’s a free and easy way to create presentations, which are sometimes referred to as slidedecks or simply, “decks.”

In Launch, we will be covering how to communicate with different audiences - and slides can be a helpful tool for this. In M0, we recommend using Slides to capture your reflections for your Mod 0 Project

Google Slides - Creating a New Slidedeck

Slides can be created anywhere in your Google Drive.

1. Click the New button and choose Google Slides This will create a new presentation that you can share, move to another folder, etc.

Like other Google Suite products, you can also invite others to collaborate with you

One of the best features of Google products like Slides is that it automatically saves your work as you make adjustments!

Google Slides - Some Tips

1. Try to avoid having too much text on a single slide
   • People can’t (and likely won’t) read it all
2. You can use animations to show and hide content
   • This can make it easier to keep your audience engaged and not overwhelmed with a ton of content all at once
   • Beware of distracting animation options - fade ins are usually enough
3. You can easily add images and other content using the Insert functionality

Practice

We will use this Practice Deck to work through some basic Google Slide functionality.

Google Docs

Docs is essentially Google’s answer to Microsoft Word. Like other cloud-based products in Google Suite, you can easily share this with others to collaborate and work on it anywhere that has an internet connection.

Like Slides, one of the benefits of Docs is that it will automatically save your work every time a change is made.

Using Docs @ Turing and On the Job

At Turing…

• Working on assignments that don’t utilize an IDE (a place where you write code)
• Can be helpful place to transfer your written notes to a digital version
• Creating cover letters + resumes for their internships, apprenticeships and other employment opportunities On the job…
• Common for organizations to share documents across different teams
• Common to share documents outside of the organization utilizing Google’s permissions.