- Bridges data analysis and visualization in one language
- Free, open-source, and industry-standard for data science
- Outperforms Excel for large datasets and automation
- Ecosystem: pandas, matplotlib, seaborn, plotly
- Download Python 3.x from python.org
- Add Python to PATH during installation
- Verify:
python --version in terminal - Install packages:
pip install matplotlib pandas seaborn plotly
- Install VSCode + Python extension (Microsoft)
- Select interpreter: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Python: Select Interpreter"
- Integrated terminal for running scripts
- Jupyter notebook support built-in
- Variables, print statements, and comments
- Running a .py file vs interactive notebook
- Understanding output and error messages
- Script structure: imports → data → logic → output
- pandas — data loading and manipulation
- matplotlib — foundational static plotting
- seaborn — statistical visualizations
- plotly — interactive charts and dashboards
- Install Python, VSCode, and required libraries
- Write and run a first Python script
- Load a CSV file with pandas and inspect it
- Create a simple plot to confirm environment works