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## Learning Objectives
*After this lesson, you will be able to:*
- Use Pandas to read in a dataset.
- Investigate a dataset's integrity.
- Filter, sort, and manipulate DataFrame series.
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## What is Pandas?
- A group of adorable bears 🐼🐼🐼
- A Python library for data manipulation.
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## So, Pandas the Library
The Swiss Army Knife of data manipulation!
Pandas:
- Is *the* library for exploratory data analysis (EDA).
- Formats, wrangles, cleans, and prepares our data.
Quick Backstory from 2009:
- A humble open source project for Panel Data (hence "Pandas") from Wes McKinney.
- A 'panel' is the name of the object (in pandas) holding an n-dimensional numpy array
- Don't let the term fool you, a panel is effectively the same thing as an excel workbook (a collection of sheets)
- A 2-dimensional panel is a Dataframe (rows and columns)
- A 1-dimensional panel is a Series (column)
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## Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
The process of understanding our dataset and producing our first level of insights.
This includes:
- Reading in data: "Import cat population."
- Checking data types. "Is the population count in integers?"
- Renaming columns: "`cat_breed` is more helpful than `Biological Family`"
- Joining together data: "Join the cat population data with the cat population data."
- Looking for missing data: "It doesn't mention corgis."
- And more!
Today, we will focus on the most 'mission critical' elements of EDA.
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## Quick Review
- Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is the process of understanding our dataset, and producing our first level of insights.What does this include?
- Pandas is a prominent Python library used for exploratory data analysis
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## What dataset are we exploring?
- Adventure Works Cycles!
- We will be using a dataset developed by Microsoft for training purposes in SQL server, known the Adventureworks Cycles 2014OLTP Database.
- It is based on a fictitious company called Adventure Works Cycles (AWC), a multinational manufacturer and seller of bicycles and accessories.
- The company is based in Bothell, Washington, USA and has regional sales offices in several countries.
- We will be looking at a single table from this database, the Production.Product table, which outlines some of the products this company sells.
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## Discussion: What Could We Examine?
- What are some potential insights you'd like to uncover given the data?
- What if you are examining it from the standpoint of a the business?
- What if you are a potential distributor of their products?
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## Our Modified Adventure Works Dataset
The full dataset is actually a large, star-schema relational databse.
We will work with a modified dataset.
Key changes:
- Only a single table from this database
- Contains information on products the company makes
- Such as the product names
- The product weights, measures
- And the product prices
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## Data Integrity
The first thing we check! Assuring our data can be trusted to produce meaningful insights.
Correctly formatted datatypes.
- "Decimals are floats, not strings."
Missing Data
- i.e. "Why do we only have even days of the month?"
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## Clean Truth about Dirty Data
- Assessing data integrity isn't a one-stop step.
- Much like EDA itself, it's an ongoing process!
- We uncover additional potential problems and anomalies to remedy along the way.
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## Launch our notebook
We'll work in the Notebook
- We're fledgling data scientists!
The `.ipynb` file you will open is called " `intro-to-pandas-i.ipynb` ".
Open it up!
Jump down to `Import`.
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## Additional Resources
- Pandas [documentation](https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/)
- DataSchool [30-video series](http://www.dataschool.io/easier-data-analysis-with-pandas/) (by a former GA instructor!)