Technology Setup Test Notebook

This repository contains a Jupyter Notebook designed to verify that your Python development environment is properly configured for data science coursework.

Prerequisites

Before running this notebook, ensure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.x (Python 3.8 or higher recommended)
• VS Code (Visual Studio Code)
• Jupyter extension for VS Code

Required Libraries

The notebook tests the following Python libraries:

• pandas - Data manipulation and analysis
• numpy - Numerical computing
• matplotlib - Data visualization

Setup Instructions

1. Clone or download this repository to your local machine

2. Open the folder in VS Code

   • Launch VS Code
   • Go to File → Open Folder
   • Select the Unit2-Tech-Setup folder

3. Install required libraries (if not already installed)

   Open a terminal in VS Code (Terminal → New Terminal) and run:

   pip install pandas numpy matplotlib

4. Install the Jupyter extension (if not already installed)

   • Open the Extensions view (⇧⌘X on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows/Linux)
   • Search for "Jupyter"
   • Install the official Jupyter extension by Microsoft

Running the Notebook

1. Open the notebook

   • In VS Code's Explorer, click on test_notebook_setup.ipynb

2. Select a Python kernel

   • When the notebook opens, click "Select Kernel" in the top-right corner
   • Choose "Python Environments..."
   • Select your Python installation

3. Run the cells

   • Click the ▶️ (play) button next to each cell to run it individually, OR
   • Use "Run All" from the top toolbar to execute all cells at once

4. Verify success

   If your environment is properly configured, you should see:

   • ✓ Python version information
   • ✓ Basic arithmetic calculations
   • ✓ Library version numbers for pandas, numpy, and matplotlib
   • ✓ A sample student scores DataFrame
   • ✓ A bar chart visualization

Troubleshooting

"Module not found" errors

If you see errors about missing modules, install them using:

pip install pandas numpy matplotlib

Kernel connection issues

• Try restarting VS Code
• Ensure Python is properly installed and accessible from the command line
• Verify the Jupyter extension is installed and enabled

No kernel available

• Make sure you have Python installed on your system
• Reload VS Code window (⇧⌘P → "Developer: Reload Window")

What This Notebook Tests

1. Python Installation - Verifies Python is working and displays version info
2. Basic Operations - Tests fundamental Python calculations
3. Essential Libraries - Confirms pandas, numpy, and matplotlib are installed
4. DataFrame Creation - Tests pandas functionality with sample data
5. Data Visualization - Creates a bar chart to verify matplotlib works