Week 3) Make plots, use branches, and write your first Make rule

Learning Goals

• Coding: build and improve plots with ggplot2 (scatter plots, labels, themes, and readable styling).
• Collaboration: work with feature branches, commits, and pull requests to merge work safely into main.
• Automation: write and run your first make rule with one target, prerequisites, and command.

Preparation before class

• Please read chapters 5-6 of “Marketing Analytics: A Modern Toolkit” (and optionally the Appendix: Working with the terminal, Git - Cheatsheet).
• Complete the code quests for week 3.

Tutorial

• Tutorial: plotting with ggplot2, branching + pull requests, and one-rule automation with make.

Coaching session

• Work on your team goals for this course week (see coaching #2 on your workplan).

After the lecture

• Complete all exercises from the tutorial shared with students this week.

Optional practice

• Verify you can explain why outputs stay stale when a prerequisite is missing from a Make rule.
• Git & Github cheatsheet