Functions for getting a first look at our data

The first few steps we take after we import our data into a pandas DataFrame are pretty much the same regardless of the characteristics of the data. We almost always want to know the number of columns and rows and the column data types, and to see the first few rows. We also might want to view the index and check whether there is a unique identifier for DataFrame rows. These discrete, easily repeatable tasks are good candidates for a collection of functions we can organize into a module.

In this recipe, we will create a module with functions that give us a good first look at any pandas DataFrame. A module is simply a collection of Python code that we can import into another Python program. Modules are easy to reuse because they can be referenced by any program with access to the folder where the module is saved.

Getting ready

We create two files in this recipe: one with a function we will use to look at our data and another...