Practical Data Wrangling

Data types, variables, and the Python shell

In the next few sections, I will use a tool called the Python shell, which will help you get more comfortable using Python. The Python shell is a tool that allows the user to enter in Python commands, which get run instantaneously. This makes the Python shell a great place to quickly and easily experiment with small bits of code or new functionality in Python.

There is no easy way of saving the code that is entered in the Python shell, so it is best to use it only for experimentation.

You can run the Python shell from a Terminal. To do this, open a Terminal and, from any directory, enter one of the following depending on your configuration:

$ Python$ python3

You should see a new command prompt within ...