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Starting with Python

Sell It

Python is a flexible language with a rich ecosystem of libraries for data science, web apps, and automation. Its clean syntax reads like English and it runs on every major operating system, making it a great first language for researchers and analysts.

Show It

A minimal script prints a message, but even this tiny example demonstrates the language's readability:

print("Hello, OASIS!")

Do It

  1. Install Python. Download Python from the official site or install a distribution like Anaconda that bundles common tools.
  2. Create an environment. Use conda create -n myenv python or python -m venv myenv to keep project packages isolated.
  3. Activate the environment. Run conda activate myenv or on macOS/Linux source myenv/bin/activate (Windows: myenv\Scripts\activate).
  4. Install a package. Try pip install pandas to see how dependencies are added.
  5. Run the script. Save the example above as hello.py and execute python hello.py.

Review It

Check python --version and run pip list to view installed packages. When you're done, deactivate the environment with conda deactivate or deactivate so your base system stays clean.