python-challenge

Background

Transitioning from using Excel to programming with Python, I've undertaken an assignment involving two Python challenges: PyBank and PyPoll. These tasks are designed to apply my new Python scripting skills to real-world scenarios.

Before I Begin

Before starting the assignment, the following steps needs to be completed:

Before diving into the assignment, I followed these preparatory steps:

1. Repository Setup: Created a new repository named python-challenge.
2. Cloning the Repository: Cloned the repository to my local machine.
3. Directory Structure: Created two folders within the repository: PyBank and PyPoll.
4. File Preparation: Within each folder, added:
   • main.py: The main script for the analysis.
   • Resources folder: Contained the necessary CSV files.
   • analysis folder: Held the text file with the results of the analysis.
5. Pushing Changes: Committed and pushed these changes to GitHub/GitLab.

PyBank Instructions

Objective

Develop a Python script to analyze financial records in a dataset named budget_data.csv, containing two columns: "Date" and "Profit/Losses".

Tasks

• Calculate the total number of months included in the dataset.
• Compute the net total amount of "Profit/Losses" over the period.
• Calculate the changes in "Profit/Losses" over the period and find the average of these changes.
• Identify the greatest increase in profits (date and amount).
• Identify the greatest decrease in profits (date and amount).

Deliverables

• Print the analysis results to the terminal.
• Export a text file with the analysis results.

My analysis should align with the following results:

PyPoll Instructions

Objective Create a Python script to modernize the vote-counting process using data from election_data.csv, which contains "Voter ID", "County", and "Candidate" columns.

Tasks

• Determine the total number of votes cast.
• Generate a complete list of candidates who received votes.
• Calculate the percentage of votes each candidate received.
• Calculate the total number of votes each candidate received.
• Identify the winner of the election based on the popular vote.

Deliverables

• Print the analysis results to the terminal.
• Export a text file with the analysis results.

My analysis should align with the following results:

Hints and Considerations

• Use Python modules like csv for file handling.
• Utilize data structures such as variables, lists, and dictionaries for data storage and manipulation.
• Employ iteration for processing data.
• Debug the scripts to ensure accuracy.
• Handle large datasets efficiently, showcasing the limitations of Excel and the advantages of Python scripting.

Workflow

1. Script Development: Write separate scripts for each dataset.
2. Testing: Run each script individually to verify functionality.
3. Version Control: Commit work regularly and push changes to GitHub to prevent data loss.
4. Documentation: Ensure the repository includes a comprehensive README.md file detailing the project.

References

• Data for this dataset was generated by edX Boot Camps LLC, and is intended for educational purposes only.

• Python File Write (https://www.w3schools.com/python/python_file_write.asp)

• Markdown-Here (https://github.com/adam-p/markdown-here/wiki/Markdown-Cheatsheet)

• Markdown-Cheatsheet (https://github.com/tchapi/markdown-cheatsheet/blob/master/README.md)