Docs (#102)

* initial slight changes

* first labcore 15 min guide

* clarifying and organizing

* changing dependencies to add support for notebook markdown references

* rerunning clean notebook

* editing main page for clarity

* adding more on datadicts

* small edits

* fixing

* fixing formatting

Author: ofw24

docs/about.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # About page
 
-Labcore and the whole [Tools For Experiments](https://github.com/toolsforexperiments) are the sofware efforts of [Pfaff-lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](https://pfaff.physics.illinois.edu/).
+Labcore and the whole [Tools For Experiments](https://github.com/toolsforexperiments) are the sofware efforts of [Pfafflab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](https://pfaff.physics.illinois.edu/).
 
 We are an experimental physics research group at UIUC, where we are a part of the Physics department, IQUIST and MRL. Our work falls broadly into quantum optics and quantum information, with a lot of influences from AMO and condensed matter physics. 
 

docs/conf.py

@@ -13,19 +13,18 @@
 # https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/configuration.html#project-information
 
 project = 'Labcore'
-copyright = '2025-2026, Marcos Frenkel, Wolfgang Pfaff, Cynthia Nolan'
-author = 'Marcos Frenkel, Wolfgang Pfaff, Cynthia Nolan'
+copyright = '2025-2026, Marcos Frenkel, Wolfgang Pfaff, Cynthia Nolan, Oliver Wolff'
+author = 'Marcos Frenkel, Wolfgang Pfaff, Cynthia Nolan, Oliver Wolff'
 
 # -- General configuration ---------------------------------------------------
 # https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/configuration.html#general-configuration
 
 extensions = [
-    'myst_parser',            # Markdown support
     'sphinx.ext.autodoc',     # API documentation from docstrings
     'sphinx.ext.autosummary', # Generate summary tables for modules
     'sphinx.ext.napoleon',    # Support for NumPy and Google style docstrings
     'sphinx.ext.viewcode',    # Add links to source code
-    'nbsphinx',               # Jupyter notebook support
+    'myst_nb',                # Jupyter notebook + MyST support
     'sphinx.ext.intersphinx', # Link to other project docs
 ]
 
@@ -47,6 +46,10 @@
 # Allow MyST to parse Sphinx roles and directives
 myst_enable_roles = True
 
+# MyST-NB notebook execution
+jupyter_execute_notebooks = "off"  # Do not run notebooks during docs build
+nb_execution_allow_errors = True   # Continue building if a notebook cell errors
+
 # Autosummary configuration (auto-generate API docs)
 autosummary_generate = True
 autosummary_generate_overwrite = True
@@ -61,11 +64,6 @@
 # MyST configuration for proper cross-references in Markdown
 myst_linkify_fuzzy_links = True
 
-# nbsphinx configuration (for Jupyter notebooks)
-nbsphinx_execute = 'never'  # Don't execute notebooks during build (safer)
-nbsphinx_allow_errors = True  # Continue building if notebook has errors
-nbsphinx_kernel_name = 'python3'
-
 # Intersphinx configuration (link to other docs)
 intersphinx_mapping = {
     'python': ('https://docs.python.org/3', None),
@@ -127,4 +125,4 @@
 # HTML context for custom variables
 html_context = {
     "default_mode": "auto"  # Light/dark theme
-}
+}

docs/first_steps/15_min_guide.ipynb

@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 # First Steps
 
-The following pages will help you get familiar with Labcore's tools. They are not meant to be exhaustive but simply an introduction.
+This page should give you a 15 minute introduction to using some of labcore's basic functionalities.
+
+## Installation
+To install labcore from a local clone: ``pip install -e /path/to/labcore`` (Coming soon to a PyPI package near you!). For more detailed installation instructions, see the [installation guide](installation.md).
+
+## Table of contents
 
 ```{toctree}
+15_min_guide
 installation
 first_data
 first_analysis

docs/first_steps/index.md

@@ -17,21 +17,23 @@ Site under construction
 
 ## Overview
 
-Labcore and the whole [Tools For Experiments](https://github.com/toolsforexperiments) are the software efforts of [Pfaff-lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](https://pfaff.physics.illinois.edu/).
+Labcore and the entire [Tools For Experiments](https://github.com/toolsforexperiments) are the software efforts of [Pfafflab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](https://pfaff.physics.illinois.edu/).
 
 ### Full Stack Toolset
 
-Labcore helps your lab function on all steps of the software stack. From controlling instruments and experiment flow, to final data analysis for publication papers, Labcore provides tools for all of them.
+Labcore helps your lab function on all levels of the software stack. Labcore provides tools all the way from controlling instruments and experiment flow to final data analysis for preparing publications.
 
 ### Modular Design
 
-Only use the tools that you need. Labcore modular designs lets you choose which parts of it are the most convenient for your workflow and gets out of the way for the rest.
+Only use the tools that you need. Labcore's modular design lets you choose the parts that are most convenient for your workflow and integrates with whichever other tools you use.
 
 ### Developed by Physicists
 
-Labcore is developed by Physicists for real needs happening inside of our lab.
+Labcore is developed by and used by physicists in experimental research groups. We understand the needs of a physics laboratory, and design Labcore to meet those needs.
 
-## Documentation
+## Getting started
+
+To begin using Labcore, check out the [Getting Started Guide](first_steps/index.md) which will give a tutorial to install and begin using Labcore.
 
 ```{toctree}
 :maxdepth: 2

docs/index.md

@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ dependencies:
   - sphinx
   - pydata-sphinx-theme
   - myst-parser
-  - nbsphinx
+  - myst-nb
   - pandoc
   - ipykernel
   - linkify-it-py
-  - h5py  # Not a doc requirement but the pip installation fails.
+  - h5py  # Not a doc requirement but the pip installation fails.