Jupyter notebook and IPython first steps.

In this post, I am going to go through some initial steps for people who are looking to try out Jupyter Notebooks (JN). We will see how to:

• Use a venv in our Jupyter notebook to work on projects.
• Shortcuts for working with JN.
• Basic ways of using new python shortcuts provided in IPython.

Que.  How to install IPython inside a virtualenv and use it?

Ans: These are a few ways to launch the python installed in your venv

- venv/bin/ipython

- python -m IPython

Que.  How to use the venv as a kernel for your Jupyter Notebook.

Step 1:  Install the package: 

pip install ipykernel 

Step 2: Activate venv : source venv/bin/activate

Step 3: Add the venv to kernel.

ipython kernel install --name "venv"

Step 4: Launch Jupyter notebook

Step 5: Create a new notebook with the "venv" kernel.

Que: How to check all kernels available in your jupyter notebook?

Ans: Use this command (in the terminal)

jupyter kernelspec list

Result:

Que: How to remove a kernel?

jupyter kernelspec remove venv

Que: How to edit a kernel display name?

Using the list command (shown above) , locate the kernel location you want to rename.

Edit the file>  kernel.json and change the display_name property as per your liking.

After saving above file, relaunch jupyter notebook and try to create a new notebook.

Using Jupyter Notebook. Essentials KB Shortcuts, commands.

• Help on something: whatever?

(Whatever can be variable?, function?, object.property?,  object.method? etc.

• More Help: whatever??
  This can even show the source code.
  
  
• Finding anything if we don't have an exact idea using wildcard matching. Below are few valid examples:
  
  
  
  
  

Shortcuts for working with Jupyter interface

• Edit Mode (of a cell) : Green color: 

• Edit Row (add above, add below, cut) : Blue Color

• Switch from editing a cell/row to vice-versa: Esc Key
• Add Row Above (In "Edit Row" mode): A 
• Add Row Below (In "Edit Row" mode): B

Magic commands:

• Paste a copied code: %paste
• Choose exception mode: %xmode [Plain, Verbose, Context]

See History: 

•  All history: %history
•  History for lines: %history -n -l 4 (-n is to show line numbers too).             

• History of last n lines: %history -l n

• Rerun commands from history: %rerun %history -n n1-n2

• Debug mode: using Ipdb: %debug [up, down]