.. _lab:

Nexus Lab
=========

Nexus Lab is a JupyterHub coding environment already configured with everything you need to
:doc:`start writing quantum programs </trainings/getting_started>`.

Start the environment by clicking "Lab" from the Nexus web interface.

Cloud Storage
-------------

Notebooks and other files saved in the Lab are securely stored in the cloud.
:doc:`Circuits </user_guide/circuits>`, results and other Nexus resources are
also stored in Nexus, so using the Lab means your work is available to you and
independent of the computer(s) you use to log in.

Quantum and scientific software already installed
-------------------------------------------------

The Lab is based on the familiar and widely-used `Jupyter Lab
<https://jupyterlab.readthedocs.io/en/stable/>`_ and has key packages already
installed and available, including:

* :std:doc:`nexus_api/qnexus_api` for saving circuits, running compilations and quantum executions on Nexus.

* :std:doc:`tket:index` plus extensions for compiling and running quantum circuits. Nexus provides a number of backends: for more details see ":ref:`Backends<backends>`".

* ``scipy``, ``numpy``, ``pandas``, ``matplotlib`` and many other widely-used Python libraries.
* plus many others. For a full list, launch a notebook and run ``!pip freeze | sort``

Automatic authentication with Nexus
-----------------------------------

In addition, when Nexus is used from the Lab environment, it is automatically
authenticated as you. (Find out how to authenticate and use Nexus from other
environments :doc:`here <./trainings/notebooks/auth_quotas>`.)

Monitor jobs and devices from the Lab
-------------------------------------

Finally, plugins in the Lab enable you to check on :ref:`job <jobs>` status,
device access and manage code checked out using ``git`` without leaving the Lab.

Git Integration
-------------------------------------

The Lab also has Git integration, allowing you to clone, push, pull, and commit to Git 
repositories directly from the Lab interface or via the git command line interface in 
the terminal.