Richardson, Weidenmier Watson Introduction to Business Analytics
Accessing Software: Python 3 and JupyterLab
To complete lab assignments on a local computer, you need access to Python 3 and the JupyterLab integrated
development environment (IDE), both of which work on Windows and Mac operating systems. Both Python 3 and
JupyterLab are open source, which means that they are freely available to use on any computer. Python 3 is the
language that is used to perform the calculations. JupyterLab is an environment that integrates many tools to help
you use the code.
There are various ways to access Python 3 and JupyterLab. Two common ways are listed below.
Anaconda Distribution Download:
Anaconda is an organization that makes it possible to download Python 3 and JupyterLab in a single file. This is
often the easiest approach for those who are new to using a code-based application. The downside is that it also
installs many other tools that you will not need.
Instructions:
1. Navigate to the download page for Anaconda (anaconda.com/download). Alternatively, navigate to
Anaconda’s home page (anaconda.com) and click Free Download.
2. You can decide if you want to register with your email address or click Skip registration to download the
file without registering.
3. Your browser will detect what type of computer you are using, and you will be provided with a link to
download the version of Anaconda that matches your operating system. For example, if you are using a
Mac, you will see a Download for Mac button. Click the button that is provided and wait for the file to
download. It is a large file, so it may take a few minutes depending on your connection.
4. After the file has finished downloading, open it and decide if you want to customize your installation. For
most people, you should be able to accept the default settings.
5. Once the installation is complete, you can search for the Anaconda Navigator application and open it like
you would any other application.
6. Once Anaconda Navigator loads, you will see a bunch of tiles that you can use to launch a variety of
analytic applications. Search for the JupyterLab tile and click the Launch button associated with it.
JupyterLab will launch in a browser window on your computer.
Google Colab Online Access:
Google provides free access to Python 3 and an environment that is like JupyterLab through their Google
Colaboratory platform for anyone that has a Google account. The advantages of this approach include (1) you do
not have to install anything on your computer, and (2) you can access the environment from any computer. The
main disadvantages include (1) the environment is a little bit different from the JupyterLab environment, and (2)
you must go through some extra steps to upload the files.
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Richardson, Weidenmier Watson Introduction to Business Analytics
Instructions to launch Google Colab:
1. Navigate to Google Drive (drive.google.com/drive/home). If necessary, create an account and login.
2. If you want to work with an existing code file, like an interactive Python notebook (IPYNB) file or a Python
script (PY) file, then upload it to a folder in your Google Drive account. You can do this by dragging the file
to the browser window that has your Google Drive account open. Once the file uploads, double click it to
open it in the Google Colab environment.
3. If you want to create a new code file, then create a new Google Colaboratory file by navigating to New,
More, Google Colaboratory. This will create a blank file that you can use and save to your folder.
Instructions to connect the code file to the data:
1. Because most code files will need to be connected to data files, you will need to upload them.
2. In the Google Colab environment, click the icon that looks like a folder in the left sidebar. The left sidebar
will expand to show some additional controls.
3. Mount the data by clicking on the icon that looks like a piece of paper with an up arrow on it. Navigate
to where the file is located and click Open.
4. Once the file has finished uploading, hover over it and click the icon that has three vertical dots that is on
the right of the file name, and click Copy path.
5. In the code, replace the name of the file with the path of the file that you just copied.
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