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Introduction to Data Science: A Low-Code Project-Based Approach

Hannah Kurzweil

Section Core CODAP Features

Subsection Working with Tables

Tables are the primary way to view and edit data in CODAP. Key operations include:
Adding and Renaming Attributes
  • Click "+" in the table header to add a new attribute (column)
  • Double-click an attribute name to rename it
  • Right-click an attribute for more options
Sorting Data
  • Click on an attribute name to sort ascending
  • Click again to sort descending
  • Click a third time to return to original order
Editing Values
  • Click directly on a cell to edit its value
  • Press Tab to move to the next cell
  • Press Enter to confirm an edit
Adding Cases (Rows)
  • Click "+" below the last row to add a new case
  • Right-click in the row area for options to insert or delete cases
Selecting Cases
  • Click on a row to select a single case
  • Shift+click to select a range of cases
  • Ctrl/Cmd+click to select multiple non-adjacent cases
Tips for working with tables:
  • Use consistent naming conventions for attributes (e.g., lowercase with underscores, or camelCase)
  • Right-click on attribute names to access additional options like hiding or deleting
  • Resize columns by dragging the dividers between attribute names
  • Hold Shift while resizing to maintain proportions of all columns
  • Use the ruler tool (available in the attribute menu) to create groups within a column

Subsection Creating and Customizing Graphs

CODAP’s graphing capabilities are powerful yet easy to use. To create a graph:
  1. Click the "Graph" button in the toolbar
  2. Drag an attribute from the table to the horizontal (x) axis
  3. Drag another attribute to the vertical (y) axis
  4. Optionally, drag attributes to the legend area to encode with color, size, or shape
Graph types available in CODAP include:
Scatter Plots
Shows the relationship between two numerical attributes.
Dot Plots
Displays distributions of single attributes, with one axis showing values and the other showing counts.
Box Plots
Shows distributions with median, quartiles, and outliers.
Histograms
Displays frequency distributions with bins.
Bar Charts
Shows counts or other metrics for categorical data.
To customize a graph:
  • Click the graph type icon to switch between plot types
  • Click on axis labels to adjust scales, titles, and other properties
  • Use the ruler tool to add reference lines or divide data into groups
  • Click on the palette icon to customize colors, point sizes, or other visual properties
  • Click "Plot Options" for additional settings specific to the current plot type
Tips for effective graphs:
  • Choose the appropriate graph type for your data and question
  • Use color, size, or shape to add additional dimensions to your visualization
  • Add meaningful axis labels by clicking on the default labels
  • Adjust axis scales if the default doesn’t show your data effectively
  • For histograms, experiment with different bin widths to find meaningful patterns
  • Remember that selections in graphs automatically highlight corresponding data in tables and other graphs

Subsection Creating Calculated Attributes

One of CODAP’s most powerful features is the ability to create new attributes based on calculations using existing data. To create a calculated attribute:
  1. Click "+" in the table header to add a new attribute
  2. Name your new attribute
  3. Click the "calculator" icon that appears in the attribute header
  4. Enter a formula in the formula editor
  5. Click "Apply" to create the calculated attribute
Common operators and functions available in the formula editor:
Table 118. CODAP Formula Elements
Category Examples Description
Basic Operators +, -, *, /, ^ Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation
Comparison Operators <, >, =, <=, >=, != Less than, greater than, equal to, etc.
Logical Operators and, or, not Combine conditions
Math Functions sqrt(), abs(), round(), log() Square root, absolute value, rounding, logarithm
Text Functions concat(), length(), upper() Combine text, get length, convert to uppercase
Conditional Functions if(condition, trueValue, falseValue) Return different values based on a condition

Example 119. Example Calculations in CODAP.

Here are some useful calculations you might create:
  • Convert units: temperature_c * 9/5 + 32 (Celsius to Fahrenheit)
  • Calculate a ratio: weight / height^2 (Body Mass Index)
  • Create a category: if(score >= 90, "A", if(score >= 80, "B", if(score >= 70, "C", "D")))
  • Calculate percent change: (new_value - old_value) / old_value * 100
  • Combine text: concat(first_name, " ", last_name)
Tips for calculated attributes:
  • Use descriptive names for calculated attributes
  • Formulas automatically update if the source attributes change
  • You can reference other calculated attributes in your formulas
  • For complex calculations, consider breaking them into multiple attributes
  • Use the formula history to retrieve previous calculations
  • Right-click on attribute names to edit existing formulas

Subsection Geographic Mapping

CODAP includes basic mapping capabilities for visualizing geographic data:
  1. Click the "Map" button in the toolbar to create a map
  2. Drag attributes containing latitude and longitude to the appropriate fields
  3. Optionally, drag another attribute to the legend to color points by category or value
Map features include:
  • Pan by dragging the map background
  • Zoom using the + and - buttons or scroll wheel
  • Change the base map using the layers icon
  • Select points on the map to highlight corresponding data in tables and graphs
  • Adjust point appearance using the point style controls
Requirements for mapping:
  • Data must include latitude and longitude coordinates in decimal degrees
  • Latitude ranges from -90° (South) to 90° (North)
  • Longitude ranges from -180° (West) to 180° (East)
  • For data with location names but no coordinates, you may need to add coordinate attributes
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