5 ms·

If you are a pythonista and not using iPython Notebook for exploration... I posit that you are, in fact, doing it wrong. Its soooooo goood.

gknoy 13y ago
I upvoted you, but I am ashamed to say that I don't really understand how to use IPython notebooks. Can you recommend a good resource for learning how to use them? So much of my exploratory work with IPython is to explore the Django models I use in my apps, and I am having trouble seeing what a notebook adds for me.
- kghose 13y ago
  I would say, just start! It's indispensable for exploratory data analysis for sure.
  - gknoy 13y ago
    Good point! I will look more closely at the Notebook site's library of samples. So far it seems like the main reason is to have documented analysis or good plots / calculations for data. Usually I am looking less at analyzing reams of data, though, and more at the relations between objects. ("What kind of object is User.things? It's a query set, but do we ever have more than one? Do we have any users with no Thing associated?") While notebooks can surely express that, I rarely feel like I need to re-create the asking of the question. Perhaps it is that I have not yet graduated far enough in my explorations of data that a Notebook is the best tool. I'm going to look more closely at them this week, though. Thank you for the encouragement to do so.
    - kghose 13y ago
      Well, for what you are looking for I would use an IPython session, or perhaps an embedded IPython session. Look at http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/dev/interactive/reference.html#embedding-ipython http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/dev/interactive/reference.htm...
    - oddthink 13y ago
      I use the ipython notebook sometimes, but I almost always use something similar. (In my case, I often use emacs org-mode files to make basic literate program-style documents.) I keep these things in a dated "Notebook" file, like "Notebook/2013-07", just to hold all my one-offs. Why do I keep them? Well, often it takes a while for me to set up the particular environment I need. If there's a problem with the calculation for X, I need to load the right data, set up the context for X, run through the individual bits until I see what the issue is. I save the ipython notebook where I go through all that, and then if I need to go back to the calculation, for example to demonstrate to someone else my example that something has gone wrong, then I can just load up the notebook. If something is supposed to have been fixed, I can load up the notebook and repeat the calculation and see if it works now. Unlike emacs org-mode, I can easily save the graphs as part of this. ("Look, if I plot the distribution, there's this big extra lump over there. Where's that coming from?") If I go back to a file, it typically takes me a bit of thought to remember exactly what I was doing there. Once I figure it out again, I add sentence or two of markdown. It's a useful thing to have around.
      - mjn 13y ago
        > Unlike emacs org-mode, I can easily save the graphs as part of this. I might be misunderstanding what you're wanting here, but are you looking for something like (R example): #+begin_src R :exports both :results graphics :file graph.png ... #+end_src
- thauck 13y ago
  Fernando Perez (the force behind IPython) has done several in depth tutorials at various pydata confs... I'd start there.
- recuter 13y ago
  Watch a good tech talk at x2 speed. I would say most technical talks end up on Youtube and/or Vimeo (or Blip.tv). I remember there was a good one from Pycon.. If the project is notable enough a search like this usually works: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_sort=video_view_count&search_query=ipython http://www.youtube.com/results?search_sort=video_view_count&...
  - sillysaurus 13y ago
    How do you watch a YouTube or Vimeo video at 2x speed? Is there a browser extension or something? I've often wanted to do that.
    - recuter 13y ago
      Well first make sure you're opted into HTML5 beta/playback whatever on Youtube/Vimeo. A random result from my previous link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ Click the gear icon where you can select the quality. Playback speed should also be there. Sometimes it isn't. In which case, force it into the popout view by tweaking the URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ Huzzah. :)
    - iso-8859-1 13y ago
      If there's no option, just use keepvid.com or similar and play it with Mplayer. Uses way less CPU too.
      - voltagex_ 13y ago
        http://rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/ http://rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/
    - kkuduk 13y ago
      with html5 player: document.getElementsByTagName('video')[0].playbackRate = 2
    - AjithAntony 13y ago
- michaf 13y ago
  For a nice list of IPythton notebook examples, see https://github.com/ipython/ipython/wiki/A-gallery-of-interesting-IPython-Notebooks https://github.com/ipython/ipython/wiki/A-gallery-of-interes... Mostly data exploration / scientific computing.
dimatura 13y ago
As a heavy numerical python user I've tried and it's cool. But as a heavy vim user I miss the code editing flexibility. My current favorite way to use ipython is through vim's Screenshell plugin.
- mark_h 13y ago
  Emacs has EIN (http://tkf.github.io/emacs-ipython-notebook/); http://tkf.github.io/emacs-ipython-notebook/); perhaps a vim implementation is possible?
mattdeboard 13y ago
Ok so at your behest I set up a notebook on one of my remote servers and you are right, it's pretty neat. Seems situational though. ipython proper seems a better choice for most stuff no?
- takluyver 13y ago
  Notebooks are very useful for analysing data where you want to create a cleaned-up record of what you've done.

gknoy 13y ago

I upvoted you, but I am ashamed to say that I don't really understand how to use IPython notebooks. Can you recommend a good resource for learning how to use them? So much of my exploratory work with IPython is to explore the Django models I use in my apps, and I am having trouble seeing what a notebook adds for me.

kghose 13y ago
I would say, just start! It's indispensable for exploratory data analysis for sure.
- gknoy 13y ago
  Good point! I will look more closely at the Notebook site's library of samples. So far it seems like the main reason is to have documented analysis or good plots / calculations for data. Usually I am looking less at analyzing reams of data, though, and more at the relations between objects. ("What kind of object is User.things? It's a query set, but do we ever have more than one? Do we have any users with no Thing associated?") While notebooks can surely express that, I rarely feel like I need to re-create the asking of the question. Perhaps it is that I have not yet graduated far enough in my explorations of data that a Notebook is the best tool. I'm going to look more closely at them this week, though. Thank you for the encouragement to do so.
  - kghose 13y ago
    Well, for what you are looking for I would use an IPython session, or perhaps an embedded IPython session. Look at http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/dev/interactive/reference.html#embedding-ipython http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/dev/interactive/reference.htm...
  - oddthink 13y ago
    I use the ipython notebook sometimes, but I almost always use something similar. (In my case, I often use emacs org-mode files to make basic literate program-style documents.) I keep these things in a dated "Notebook" file, like "Notebook/2013-07", just to hold all my one-offs. Why do I keep them? Well, often it takes a while for me to set up the particular environment I need. If there's a problem with the calculation for X, I need to load the right data, set up the context for X, run through the individual bits until I see what the issue is. I save the ipython notebook where I go through all that, and then if I need to go back to the calculation, for example to demonstrate to someone else my example that something has gone wrong, then I can just load up the notebook. If something is supposed to have been fixed, I can load up the notebook and repeat the calculation and see if it works now. Unlike emacs org-mode, I can easily save the graphs as part of this. ("Look, if I plot the distribution, there's this big extra lump over there. Where's that coming from?") If I go back to a file, it typically takes me a bit of thought to remember exactly what I was doing there. Once I figure it out again, I add sentence or two of markdown. It's a useful thing to have around.
    - mjn 13y ago
      > Unlike emacs org-mode, I can easily save the graphs as part of this. I might be misunderstanding what you're wanting here, but are you looking for something like (R example): #+begin_src R :exports both :results graphics :file graph.png ... #+end_src
thauck 13y ago
Fernando Perez (the force behind IPython) has done several in depth tutorials at various pydata confs... I'd start there.
recuter 13y ago
Watch a good tech talk at x2 speed. I would say most technical talks end up on Youtube and/or Vimeo (or Blip.tv). I remember there was a good one from Pycon.. If the project is notable enough a search like this usually works: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_sort=video_view_count&search_query=ipython http://www.youtube.com/results?search_sort=video_view_count&...
- sillysaurus 13y ago
  How do you watch a YouTube or Vimeo video at 2x speed? Is there a browser extension or something? I've often wanted to do that.
  - recuter 13y ago
    Well first make sure you're opted into HTML5 beta/playback whatever on Youtube/Vimeo. A random result from my previous link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ Click the gear icon where you can select the quality. Playback speed should also be there. Sometimes it isn't. In which case, force it into the popout view by tweaking the URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=H6dLGQw9yFQ Huzzah. :)
  - iso-8859-1 13y ago
    If there's no option, just use keepvid.com or similar and play it with Mplayer. Uses way less CPU too.
    - voltagex_ 13y ago
      http://rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/ http://rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/
  - kkuduk 13y ago
    with html5 player: document.getElementsByTagName('video')[0].playbackRate = 2
  - AjithAntony 13y ago
michaf 13y ago
For a nice list of IPythton notebook examples, see https://github.com/ipython/ipython/wiki/A-gallery-of-interesting-IPython-Notebooks https://github.com/ipython/ipython/wiki/A-gallery-of-interes... Mostly data exploration / scientific computing.

dimatura 13y ago

As a heavy numerical python user I've tried and it's cool. But as a heavy vim user I miss the code editing flexibility. My current favorite way to use ipython is through vim's Screenshell plugin.

mark_h 13y ago
Emacs has EIN (http://tkf.github.io/emacs-ipython-notebook/); http://tkf.github.io/emacs-ipython-notebook/); perhaps a vim implementation is possible?

mattdeboard 13y ago

Ok so at your behest I set up a notebook on one of my remote servers and you are right, it's pretty neat. Seems situational though. ipython proper seems a better choice for most stuff no?

takluyver 13y ago
Notebooks are very useful for analysing data where you want to create a cleaned-up record of what you've done.