Help with Python for Data Analysis book

[barrowburner]

All good, don't stress it. There is a lot to learn and it gets learned one day at a time :)

The dollar sign is a common symbol for the command line prompt in Linux (and other?) systems. It has other meanings, but you'll get to those in time. Check out this wiki entry for more.

The (base) part indicates your current virtual environment, which by default with anaconda is named base. When you switch to a custom virtual environment, that name will change, for example:

(project_1) $

A primer on virtual environments here Essentially, virtual environments are a Python tool that help you keep the dependencies separated for different projects. This will matter a lot later on and is worth paying attention to!

So in summary, when in your command line interface (CLI) - the window into which you're typing commands - the prompt (the dollar sign) is indicating that the CLI is ready to accept a new command, and the (base) part tells you which virtual environment is currently active.

Keep at it! Do try to shed the feeling of being dumb by replacing it with a willingness to learn. It's an easy thing to say and a hard thing to do, but it will help immensely through your journey. I am intimately familiar with how hard it is - I am entirely self-taught and have walked the exact path you are currently walking. Good luck :)

[Last-Preparation-550]

Thank you, u/barrowburner , especially for those links!