Jupyter Notebooks in VS Code: A Comprehensive Setup Guide

Jupyter notebooks in VS Code. Setting up Jupyter notebooks in Visual Studio Code can significantly enhance your data science workflow. This guide will walk you through the process of installing Anaconda, configuring Visual Studio Code, and creating your first Jupyter notebook. By following these steps, you’ll be able to leverage the power of Jupyter notebooks within the versatile VS Code environment.

Installing Anaconda: Your Python Distribution

First and foremost, we need to install Anaconda, a popular Python distribution that includes many data science libraries and tools.

1. Visit the Anaconda website and download the Individual Edition.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts. You can generally accept all default settings.
3. Once installation is complete, open the Anaconda Prompt from your Start menu.
4. In the prompt, type the following command to install a necessary package:

   conda install ipykernel

5. When prompted, type ‘y’ to proceed with the installation.

Setting Up Visual Studio Code

Now that we have our Python environment ready, let’s set up Visual Studio Code.

1. Download VS Code from the official website.
2. Run the installer, accepting the default settings.
3. Once installed, open VS Code.
4. Navigate to the Extensions view by clicking on the square icon in the left sidebar or pressing Ctrl+Shift+X.
5. Search for “Python” and install the official Python extension by Microsoft.

Configuring VS Code for Jupyter Notebooks

With VS Code installed, we need to configure it to use our Anaconda Python environment.

1. Open the Command Palette by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P.
2. Type “Python: Select Interpreter” and choose this option.
3. From the list, select the Python interpreter that includes “(base:conda)” in its name.

Creating Your First Jupyter Notebook

Now, let’s create and run our first Jupyter notebook in VS Code.

1. Open the Command Palette again (Ctrl+Shift+P).
2. Type “Create New Blank Jupyter Notebook” and select this option.
3. A new notebook will open in the editor.
4. In the first cell, click on “Code” and change it to “Markdown”.
5. Type the following in the cell:

   # My First Jupyter Notebook

6. Click the checkmark icon or press Shift+Enter to render the markdown.
7. Click the “+ Code” button to add a new code cell below.
8. In this cell, type:

   print("Hello, Jupyter!")

9. Click the play button next to the cell or press Shift+Enter to run the code.

Saving and Managing Notebooks

To keep your work organized:

1. Save your notebook by clicking File > Save or pressing Ctrl+S.
2. Choose a location and give your notebook a name with the .ipynb extension.
3. You can create a dedicated folder for your notebooks and open it in VS Code to easily manage multiple files.

Conclusion

Jupyter notebooks in VS Code. By following this guide, you’ve successfully set up Jupyter notebooks in Visual Studio Code. This powerful combination allows you to write, run, and debug code, as well as create rich, interactive documents all within one integrated development environment. As you continue to explore, you’ll discover many more features that make data science work in VS Code both efficient and enjoyable.

Remember to keep your Anaconda distribution and VS Code extensions updated to ensure you have access to the latest features and improvements. Happy coding!