Creating a workbook

A data project in DataLab is called a workbook: a collection of source, data, and configuration files. A workbook typically contains at least one notebook, but can also contain no or multiple notebooks.

Creating an empty workbook

In the DataLab interface, click the "New workbook" button in the sidebar.

From here on, you can work in the "AI chat" view and start a chat with the AI assistant or switch to the "Code" view and start adding cells to an empty notebook in your workbook, bring in your own datasets, import previous work or start from a template or dataset.

Ways to start in an empty workbook

Creating a workbook from a template

DataLab provides a wide range of templates that contain pre-written code to solve common data science tasks, going from simple things like merging two data frames, all the way up to larger problems such as training a decision tree classifier for making predictions.

To create a workbook from a template, click on "Templates" in the left side bar, browse the list, select a template, and click Create workbook.

Creating a workbook from a dataset

In addition to templates, DataCamp provides a rich and growing collection of datasets to analyze; the workbook you create through this way will contain the necessary data files with some sample code to import and it and a brief description so you can dive in immediately.

To create a workbook from a DataCamp dataset, you can click on the Dataset in the left side bar, browse the list, select a dataset, and click Create workbook.

Creating a workbook from a (public) GitHub repository

Lots of interesting analyses live in GitHub repositories. DataLab allows you to easily create a new workbook from any public GitHub repository.

1. Create a new blank workbook as described in the section above and switch to the "Code" view.
2. Click on the Import from GitHub button in the new blank workbook.

3. Enter the URL or repository name in the modal that appears.

4. A new workbook opens up that includes all the files from the specified repository.

Make a copy of an existing workbook

Finally, you can also create a new workbook by making a copy of an already existing workbook that you own or that you have view access to:

1. In the workbook you want to copy, open the File menu and select Make a Copy:

   
2. In the modal that appears specify the title for the new workbook (optional), in which account you would like to create this workbook, whether the new workbook should be private or public, and click Make a Copy.

   

   Copy workbook modal
3. A new workbook will be created that contains all the files and folders that are stored in the home directory of the original workbook.

Note that in step 1, you can also click Create Copy Link to create a reusable URL to create a new workbook, duplicating the original workbook. You can use this URL to send over to peers so they can easily create a copy of your workbook. This can be useful in an education context, as described in DataLab for education.

Visit ws.new

• Visit the ws.new url in your browser
• You land in a new, empty workbook, ready to start working.

Personal and group workbook

By default, all workbooks you create will live under your personal account. You can see this by checking the account selector in the sidebar.

Workbooks that live in your personal account, also called personal workbooks:

• Can be made public to anyone with the link to your workbook (you can choose to disable this).

• Can use environment variables and database connections that are configured in your personal account.

If you are a member of one or more DataCamp groups, you can also create workbooks inside these group spaces. To create a group workbook, click the account selector dropdown and select a group. These group workbooks:

• Can easily be shared with all members in your group (rather than having to share with every group member individually).

• Can use environment variables and database connections that are configured in the group.
• Cannot be shared with members that are not in your group.