2  Preface

A firm grasp of programming concepts and skills is essential for any data scientist. Whether you are working in biostatistics, epidemiology, machine learning, or health data science, you want programming to be a boost, not a hurdle.

Everyone learns differently. This book is designed to help you learn programming in your own pace. Concepts are introduced one-by-one, using the following general structure:

1. Introduction to concept and/or skill using text and optionally figures.
2. Comprehension check to ensure you understand the concept using simple multiple choice questions and/or fill-in-the-blank exercises.
3. Example to demonstrate the concept in action using executable code.
4. Practice to reinforce the concept or skill using editable and executable code blocks.
5. Explanation to provide solution and explain the correct answer, including link for further reading.

The book use the hypothes.is commenting tool to allow you to add annotations and comments, either privately or publicaly. You can ask questions among your cohort, provide feedback to instructors, and discuss with other readers.