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Quick Start

Quick Start

Get up and running with LDA in 5 minutes. This guide will walk you through creating your first project.

Installation

Install LDA using uv:

uv tool install ldanalysis

Initialize Your First Project

Create a new LDA project:

ldanalysis init --name "My Research Project"

This creates: - Project folder: my_research_project/ - Config file: my_research_project_config.yaml - Playground directory for experimentation - Project manifest for tracking

Create a Project with Sections

Initialize with predefined sections:

ldanalysis init --name "Climate Study 2024" --sections "data,analysis,results"

Each section includes: - Input/output directories - Logs directory - Run script (Python by default) - README file

Multi-Language Support

Create a project with both Python and R scripts:

ldanalysis init --name "Stats Analysis" --sections "modeling" --language both

Check Project Status

View current project state:

ldanalysis status

Output: 

Project: Climate Study 2024
Code: climate_study_2024
Sections: 3
Total files: 0
Last activity: Never

Add Sections Later

Update your config file and sync:

  1. Edit climate_study_2024_config.yaml: 

    sections:
- name: data
  inputs: []
  outputs: []
- name: analysis
  inputs: []
  outputs: []
- name: results
  inputs: []
  outputs: []
- name: discussion  # New section
  inputs: []
  outputs: []

  2. Sync the structure: 

    ldanalysis sync

Project Structure Overview

climate_study_2024/
├── climate_study_2024_config.yaml
└── climate_study_2024/
    ├── lda_manifest.csv
    ├── lda_playground/
    │   ├── experiments/
    │   ├── scratch/
    │   └── notebooks/
    ├── climate_study_2024_sec01_data/
    │   ├── inputs/
    │   ├── outputs/
    │   ├── logs/
    │   └── run.py
    └── climate_study_2024_sec02_analysis/
        └── ... (same structure)

Quick Command Reference

# Install LDA
uv tool install ldanalysis

# Create basic project
ldanalysis init --name "Project Name"

# Create with sections
ldanalysis init --name "Project" --sections "intro,methods,results"

# Multi-language support
ldanalysis init --name "Project" --language both

# Check status
ldanalysis status

# Sync with config
ldanalysis sync

# Preview sync changes
ldanalysis sync --dry-run

# Track files
ldanalysis track file.csv --section data --type input

# View changes
ldanalysis changes

Interactive Example

Try this complete workflow:

# 1. Create a demo project
ldanalysis init --name "Drug Study Demo" \
  --sections "protocol,data,analysis" \
  --language both

# 2. Navigate to project
cd drug_study_demo/drug_study_demo

# 3. Check status
ldanalysis status

# 4. Add a new section via config
echo '- name: figures
  inputs: []
  outputs: []' >> ../drug_study_demo_config.yaml

# 5. Sync the changes
ldanalysis sync

# 6. List the new structure
ls -la

Key Concepts

  • Projects: Named workspaces (e.g., "Climate Analysis 2024")
  • Sections: Distinct analysis phases mapping to document sections
  • Playground: Experimental area for testing ideas
  • Config Files: YAML files named after your project
  • Manifest: Tracks all files and changes

Tips for Success

  1. Use descriptive names: Your project name becomes the folder and config name
  2. Plan sections: Think about your document structure upfront
  3. Use playground: Test ideas before formalizing into sections
  4. Sync regularly: Keep your structure aligned with the config
  5. Track important files: Maintain provenance for key inputs/outputs

Next Steps