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Can't even get started - dr6 - Aug-18-2020
Hi. I might post here lots....
I'm learning Python, planning to specialise in data analysis. I'm used to Stata - importing a .csv is trivial, doing an OLS is trivial. In Python I need to download Python, then I need to download PyCharm to code, but then I was told to use Jupyter, which apparently means installing something called Anaconda. Then I'll need to use something called pip, numpy, pandas, matplotlib and so on. I took CodeAcademy's intro to Python class and have a reasonable grasp of syntax, functions, dictionaries, mathematical operators, strings, loops and so on but still feel like I'm a month away from being able to import a .csv with two variables and regress one on the other.
I want to smash my laptop, or at least give up. But I will persist.
I'm reading Wes McKinney's "Python for Data Analysis (2nd edition)". It mentions running command prompt and typing "python" to check that the message returns whatever version of Anaconda you have installed.
I did this and it returned a different message - just a default Python. I uninstalled Python and typed python again and it opened up the Windows Store! I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Anaconda but it still opens the Windows store when I type "python" in the command prompt. So I can't even get past the beginning of the preliminaries of the Data Analysis book. I am incredibly frustrated. I hear so many good things about Python and can envisage finding it incredibly powerful once I'm familiar with how it works, but I can't even get started! I can't even do a simple freaking regression!
What do I need to do to get the command prompt to return what the book says it should? Many thanks for your help!
By the way: I really have no idea what this command prompt thing means, or whether it's important to change it so it returns what the book says it should.
RE: Can't even get started - Larz60+ - Aug-18-2020
- python packages for interfacing with Stata: https://pypi.org/search/?q=Stata
- pycharm is just one IDE that you can use, there are many more available.
- for Anaconda, see: https://python-forum.io/Thread-Anaconda-and-other-ways-to-run-Python?highlight=anaconda
- Jupyter comes installed with Anaconda, so don't need to install separately
- pip comes with python, but conda is used instead of pip with anaconda, and I think should be installed with Anaconda package.
- Not sure what the installed package list for Anaconda is, but likely numpy, matplotlib and perhaps pandas will already be included, if not, easy to install with conda
- Don't smash your laptop, it's not so difficult. Start with snippsat's tutorial above.