Data Wrangling with Python - Introduction - DAY 1
Data wrangling is the name given to the process of extracting useful information from large quantities of data. It generally involves: Discovering, Structuring, Cleaning, Enriching, Validating, and Publishing data to make it available for analysis. This necessarily involves processing large amounts of data and this course will teach you how to do that with the Python programming language.
Description
- Understand the basic steps of Data Wrangling
- Have sufficient skills to use Python to perform these basic steps
- Be qualified to attend the next course – Data Wrangling with Python Day 2
Learning objectives
- Learn how to start working with Python and why Python is so well suited to data analysis tasks.
- Learn introductory Python language skills and scripted Python techniques through interactive sessions.
- Understand where to get more resources and to continue to grow your Python skills in the future.
Topics
- Excel: Strengths and weaknesses
- Python the Alternative: Why it is better than Excel
- Python: Exercises on Data manipulation
- Expressions and Practical Data constructs
- Coping with unexpected values
- Exercises: Exploring aggregate data structures
- Functions, Classes and Objects
- Organising code for flexibility
- Exercises: Creating flexible, reusable code
- Store code in re-runnable files
- Add parameters for flexibility and extensibility
- Exercises: Extend your code to handle new data
Audience
There are no pre-requisites for this course. No prior Python programming knowledge is required, as the course is structured so that even non-programmers can follow and interact with the material. A little prior experience of programming generally may be beneficial.
Course format
- Powerpoint presentation to introduce the topics
- PDF reader
- MS Excel
- Miniconda (minimal Python data science package)
- Thonny (minimal Python script editor and debugger)
- Group discussion/work
- Bring questions from your own work to embed your learning
Related courses
Data Wrangling with Python - Intermediate - DAY 3