Why this matters
Before you can analyse tables with pandas, you need a few core Python ideas. They are the same ideas you used in spreadsheets, written as code: values, lists of values, repeating a step and reusing a calculation. Employers who test Python usually start here.
Notebooks
In Google Colab, a notebook is made of cells. Code cells run Python and show the result underneath. Text cells hold notes and headings. Run a cell with the play button or Shift and Enter. Cells share memory, so a value created in one cell can be used in the next. If things get confusing, open the Runtime menu and choose Restart session and run all, which clears memory and runs every cell from the top.
Variables and types
A variable is a name that stores a value:
town = "Bolgatanga"
pupils = 42
fee = 12.5Text is a string (in quotes), whole numbers are integers and decimals are floats. type(pupils) tells you the type. Mixing them causes errors: "42" in quotes is text and cannot be added to a number until you convert it with int("42").