Data Wrangling with Python

Appendix C. Learning the Command Line

One powerful development tool is the ability to navigate your computer using only the command line. Whatever operating system you use, knowing how to directly interact with your computer will pay off in your data wrangling and coding career. We aren’t saying you need to become a systems administrator, but it’s good to be somewhat adept at maneuvering via the command line.

One of the greatest feelings as a developer is being able to debug both systems and code problems you encounter. Understanding and working with your computer via the command line will give you some insight into those problems. If you encounter system errors and use the debugging tips you’ve learned throughout this book, you’ll likely learn more about your own computer, the operating system you use, and how to better interact via the command line. Then, when you encounter system errors in your Python code, you’ll be one step ahead when debugging and fixing those issues.

In this appendix, we’ll cover the basics of bash (used on Macs and many Linux installations) as well as the Windows cmd and PowerShell utilities. We will only provide an introduction here, but we encourage you to continue your learning and engagement. We’ve included suggestions for further reading in each section.

Bash

If you’re using a bash-based command line, what you learn as you navigate it will be applicable to any bash-based client, regardless of the operating system you are currently ...