Book Image

Learn Python by Building Data Science Applications

By : Philipp Kats, David Katz
Book Image

Learn Python by Building Data Science Applications

By: Philipp Kats, David Katz

Overview of this book

Python is the most widely used programming language for building data science applications. Complete with step-by-step instructions, this book contains easy-to-follow tutorials to help you learn Python and develop real-world data science projects. The “secret sauce” of the book is its curated list of topics and solutions, put together using a range of real-world projects, covering initial data collection, data analysis, and production. This Python book starts by taking you through the basics of programming, right from variables and data types to classes and functions. You’ll learn how to write idiomatic code and test and debug it, and discover how you can create packages or use the range of built-in ones. You’ll also be introduced to the extensive ecosystem of Python data science packages, including NumPy, Pandas, scikit-learn, Altair, and Datashader. Furthermore, you’ll be able to perform data analysis, train models, and interpret and communicate the results. Finally, you’ll get to grips with structuring and scheduling scripts using Luigi and sharing your machine learning models with the world as a microservice. By the end of the book, you’ll have learned not only how to implement Python in data science projects, but also how to maintain and design them to meet high programming standards.
Table of Contents (26 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Section 1: Getting Started with Python
11
Section 2: Hands-On with Data
17
Section 3: Moving to Production

Chapter 3

What are functions, and when should we use them?

In programming, a function is the named section of the code that encapsulates a specific task and can be used relatively independently from the surrounding code.

How can data be provided to functions?

Conceptually, code in a function can access data from outside. The best way to pass the data, however, is via arguments—special temporary variables used exactly for that.

What does indentation mean? Is it required?

Yes; in Python, indentation is required and defines the grouping of code.

What should be covered in the docstring function? How can I read the docstring function?

Ideally, every module, function, and class should have a docstring. In all those cases, a docstring can be shown using the help function, or accessed programmatically via the __doc__ attribute.

When could it be useful to use type annotations...