Civis API Python Client¶
The Civis API Python client is a Python package that helps analysts and developers interact with the Civis Platform. The package includes a set of tools around common workflows as well as a convenient interface to make requests directly to the Civis API.
Installation¶
The recommended install method is pip:
pip install civis
Alternatively, you may clone the code from GitHub and build from source:
git clone https://github.com/civisanalytics/civis-python.git
cd civis-python
python setup.py install
The client has a soft dependency on pandas
to support features such as
data type parsing. If you are using the io
namespace to read or write
data from Civis, it is highly recommended that you install pandas
and
set use_pandas=True
in functions that accept that parameter. To install
pandas
:
pip install pandas
Machine learning features in the ml
namespace have a soft dependency on
scikit-learn
and pandas
. Install scikit-learn
to
export your trained models from the Civis Platform or to
provide your own custom models. Use pandas
to download model predictions
from the Civis Platform. The civis.ml
code
optionally uses the feather
format to transfer data from your local computer to Civis
Platform. Install these dependencies with
pip install scikit-learn
pip install pandas
pip install feather-format
Some CivisML models have open-source dependencies in
addition to scikit-learn
, which you may need if you want to
download the model object. These dependencies are
civisml-extensions
, glmnet
, and muffnn
. Install these
dependencies with
pip install civisml-extensions
pip install glmnet
pip install muffnn
Python version support¶
Python 2.7, 3.4, 3.5, and 3.6
Authentication¶
In order to make requests to the Civis API, you will need an API key that is
unique to you. Instructions for creating a new key are found here:
https://civis.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/216341583-Generating-an-API-Key.
By default, the Python client will look for your key in the environment
variable CIVIS_API_KEY
. To add the API key to your environment, copy
the key you generated to your clipboard and follow the instructions below
for your operating system.
Mac
Open .bash_profile
in TextEdit:
cd ~/
touch .bash_profile
open -e .bash_profile
Then add the following line, replacing api_key_here
with your key:
export CIVIS_API_KEY="api_key_here"
Linux
Open .bashrc
in your favorite editor (nano is used here):
cd ~/
nano .bashrc
Then add the following line, replacing api_key_here
with your key:
export CIVIS_API_KEY="api_key_here"
User Guide¶
For a more detailed walkthrough, see the User Guide.