Lab 1 - Getting Started with GEE - Hello World

Lab Instructions

1. Step 1 - Sign up for an Earth Engine account

   Go to https://earthengine.google.com/

   You can visit the website and get familiar with the information Google presents about Earth Engine.

   Click the Sign-Up page and fill out the form: https://signup.earthengine.google.com/

   Normally signup is very quick after request.

2. Step 2 - Access the Earth Engine Code Editor

   Once your account is opened and approved by Google, go to https://code.earthengine.google.com/

   The Code Editor is an integrated Earth Engine JavaScript API development environment. It offers an easy way to type, debug, run, and manage code.

   

3. Part 3 - Coding

   When first learning a new language and getting used to a new programming environment, it is customary to make a program to display the words "Hello World." This is a fun way to start coding that shows you how to give input to the program and how to execute it. It also shows where the program displays the output. Doing this in JavaScript is quite simple.

   Type the following code into line one of your script:

   print('Hello World');

   The line of code above uses the JavaScript print function to print the text "Hello World" to the screen. Once you enter the code, click the Run button. The output will be displayed on the upper right-hand panel under the Console tab.

   

4. Part 4 - Save your Code

   You just wrote your first Earth Engine script and may want to save it. Click the Save button.

   

   If this is your first time using the Code Editor, you will be prompted to create a home folder. This is a folder in the cloud where all your code will be saved. You can pick a name of your choice, but remember that it cannot be changed and will forever be associated with your account. A good choice for the name would be your Google Account username.

   Once your home folder is created, you will be prompted to enter a new repository. A repository can help you organize and share code. Your account can have multiple repositories and each repository can have multiple scripts inside it. To get started, you can create a repository named "default".

   Finally, you can save your script inside the newly created repository. Enter the name "hello_world" and click OK.

   

   Once the script is saved, it will appear in the script manager panel. The scripts are saved in the cloud and will always be available to you when you open the Code Editor.

5. Part 5 - Share your Code

   Click on the Get link button. This will generate a URL for your code.