Add intro to Python section

index.rst

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ This is documentation by and for members of the MOAD (Mesoscale Ocean and Atmosp
    bash_config
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python.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+.. Copyright 2018 – present by The UBC EOAS MOAD Group
+.. and The University of British Columbia
+..
+.. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
+..
+..   https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
+
+
+.. _MOAD-Python:
+
+******
+Python
+******
+
+Most of the analysis and tools in the Salish Sea MEOPAR project are written in `Python`_,
+though Matlab makes occasional guest appearances.
+
+.. _Python: https://www.python.org/
+
+`Python Programming for Data Science (PY4DS)`_ is a good,
+grad level,
+introduction to Python,
+some programming topics,
+`NumPy`_,
+and `Pandas`_.
+Its target audiences are people who know how to program in a language other than Python,
+or people who know a little Python and want/need to know more about the language,
+good programming practices,
+and scientific Python.
+It was written by `Tomas Beuzen`_ based on material he and others developed to teach the
+“DSCI 511 Python Programming for Data Science” course in the UBC Master of Data Science Program.
+
+.. _Python Programming for Data Science (PY4DS): https://www.tomasbeuzen.com/python-programming-for-data-science/README.html
+.. _NumPy: https://numpy.org/
+.. _Pandas: https://pandas.pydata.org/
+.. _Tomas Beuzen: https://www.tomasbeuzen.com/
+
+Don't worry too much about Anonymous Functions
+(aka ``lambda``) in chapter 2,
+section 7,
+nor about Inheritance and Subclasses in chapter 3,
+section 3.
+
+PY4DS goes pretty deep into `Pandas`_.
+That's absolutely appropriate for the MDS program,
+and some of that depth is relevant for MOAD analyses.
+The intro to Pandas is also a good basis for jumping off into `xarray` for working with netCDF datasets because xarray is inspired by and based on Pandas.
+
+.. _xarray: https://docs.xarray.dev/en/stable/
+
+Another good resource for learning about Python is the `Real Python`_ site.
+
+.. _Real Python: https://realpython.com/