[Tutor] substituting for time_series, Pandas, Anaconda. Practical Programming, intro Comp Sci, Gries text

[Albert-Jan Roskam]

________________________________
> From: Charles Agriesti <dragriesti at comcast.net>
>To: Tutor at python.org 
>Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 9:08 PM
>Subject: [Tutor] substituting for time_series, Pandas, Anaconda. Practical Programming, intro Comp Sci, Gries text
> 
>
>Practical programming, 2nd Edition, Paul Gries, Jennifer Campbell, Jason 
>Montojo
>(Python 3)
>
>P 184, the last half of chapter 10 requires the time_series module, 
>which is no longer available, apparently replaced by Pandas.
>
>Looked into installing Pandas. Installing Anaconda is supposed to 
>accomplish that, or help with it.
>Install Anaconda, It contains its own Python27, requires uninstall of 
>old Python 2 . Done.
>Anaconda website says it allows easy switching between Python26, 
>Python27, Python33. I have Python34 installed.
>Windows Powershell
>C:\Users\Charles
>enter: < conda >
>(shows a help file which I found less than helpful)
>C:\Users\Charles
>enter: < ipython notebook>
>
>This opens a browser window  at  http://127.0.0.1:8888/   , clicking 
>'new notebook' opens an unfamiliar looking ide called ipython notebook.


Ipython = interactive python. Ipython notebook allows you to save interactive Python sessions as html. So you see input and output in one html file. Try entering "import pandas", and then "help(pandas)"


>searching hard drive for pandas found a couple of things that I don't 
>think are the pandas program. same for scipy and numpy.


Pandas uses the numpy library, among others.


>Is this Anaconda thing any part of being able to run the scripts from 
>the textbook with time_series? Is it a complete wild goose chase?
>Should I install SciPy? Is Pandas separate from that? Should I install 
>Python33? Will this conflict with the 27 and 34 already on this computer?
>Give up on the Gries book and try a different one?
>Thanks in advance if anybody can help.

Anaconda is a bundle of useful python goodies, so next to a basic python installation (which contains tons of cool stuff already), even more, non-standard libraries are installed. Like numoy, scipy, pandas, numba, etc etc.