Python Data Visualization Cookbook: As a developer with knowledge of Python you are already in a great position to start using data visualization. This superb cookbook shows you how in plain language and practical recipes, culminating with 3D animations.

Igor Milovanovic

Nov 2013 · Packt Publishing Ltd

About this ebook

As a developer with knowledge of Python you are already in a great position to start using data visualization. This superb cookbook shows you how in plain language and practical recipes, culminating with 3D animations.Key Features

• Learn how to set up an optimal Python environment for data visualization
• Understand the topics such as importing data for visualization and formatting data for visualization
• Understand the underlying data and how to use the right visualizations

Book DescriptionToday, data visualization is a hot topic as a direct result of the vast amount of data created every second. Transforming that data into information is a complex task for data visualization professionals, who, at the same time, try to understand the data and objectively transfer that understanding to others. This book is a set of practical recipes that strive to help the reader get a firm grasp of the area of data visualization using Python and its popular visualization and data libraries. Python Data Visualization Cookbook will progress the reader from the point of installing and setting up a Python environment for data manipulation and visualization all the way to 3D animations using Python libraries. Readers will benefit from over 60 precise and reproducible recipes that guide the reader towards a better understanding of data concepts and the building blocks for subsequent and sometimes more advanced concepts. Python Data Visualization Cookbook starts by showing you how to set up matplotlib and the related libraries that are required for most parts of the book, before moving on to discuss some of the lesser-used diagrams and charts such as Gantt Charts or Sankey diagrams. During the book, we go from simple plots and charts to more advanced ones, thoroughly explaining why we used them and how not to use them. As we go through the book, we will also discuss 3D diagrams. We will peep into animations just to show you what it takes to go into that area. Maps are irreplaceable for displaying geo-spatial data, so we also show you how to build them. In the last chapter, we show you how to incorporate matplotlib into different environments, such as a writing system, LaTeX, or how to create Gantt charts using Python. This book will help those who already know how to program in Python to explore a new field – one of data visualization. As this book is all about recipes that explain how to do something, code samples are abundant, and they are followed by visual diagrams and charts to help you understand the logic and compare your own results with what is explained in the book.What you will learn

• Install and use iPython
• Use Python s virtual environments
• Install and customize NumPy and matplotlib
• Draw common and advanced plots
• Visualize data using maps
• Create 3D animated data visualizations
• Import data from various formats
• Export data from various formats

Who this book is for

Python Data Visualization Cookbook is for developers that already know about Python programming in general. If you have heard about data visualization but you don't know where to start, then this book will guide you from the start and help you understand data, data formats, data visualization, and how to use Python to visualize data. You will need to know some general programming concepts, and any kind of programming experience will be helpful, but the code in this book is explained almost line by line. You don't need maths for this book, every concept that is introduced is thoroughly explained in plain English, and references are available for further interest in the topic.

Ratings and reviews

This is a nice tour of modules and techniques for importing and scrubbing data from various sources (CSV, databases, Excel, etc), manipulating said data and presenting it in an intuitive manner. The author is generous with examples, which allows you to start right away. While this is not a rigorous tutorial, the author goes into exactly the right depth to allow you to make a decision on methodology and begin implementing right away. If, rather than becoming a NumPy scholar, you expect to have to deliver results from varied species of data, having this in your back pocket will help you accomplish that.

About the author

Igor Milovanović is an experienced developer, with strong background in Linux system knowledge and software engineering education. He is skilled in building scalable data-driven distributed software rich systems. An evangelist for high-quality systems design, he has a strong interest in software architecture and development methodologies. Igor is always committed to advocating methodologies that promote high-quality software, such as test-driven development, one-step builds, and continuous integration. He also possesses solid knowledge of product development. With field experience and official training, he is capable of transferring knowledge and communication flow from business to developers and vice versa. Igor is most grateful to his girlfriend for letting him spend hours on work instead with her and being an avid listener to his endless book monologues. He thanks his brother for being the strongest supporter. He is also thankful to his parents for letting him develop in various ways to become a person he is today.