Hi Everyone,
Way back in March when I taught at the Berkeley WISE bootcamp I modified the
intermediate python lesson to use Numpy rather than Pandas. My reasoning was
the following:
I think that there is a bit more overhead in understanding a Pandas Table class
(vs a Numpy array)
The slicing is a little more straightforward
Students are likely to use Numpy arrays and I can read data straight into those
arrays
I think Numpy is more prevalent
The downsides:
The Numpy functions to read data can require a lot of massaging to get your
data read in correctly. Not an issue at the bootcamp (sorry, workshop) but an
issue for future usability for students.
There isn’t a way to display all of the data as a table (without invoking shell
commands). To be clear, I use the unpack keyword so that each column is put
into a separate array
I’m curious to hear the perspective of others whose use both Numpy and/or
Pandas and those who have taught using either. The audience this is aimed at is
one that has programmed before, but not in python.
Thanks,
Azalee
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