Getting Started with Notebooks in Databricks

bhanu_gautam — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:23:03 GMT

Databricks notebooks are a powerful tool for data scientists and engineers to collaborate, explore data, and build machine learning models. This guide will help you get started with creating and using notebooks in Databricks.

📓Why Use Databricks Notebooks?

Interactive Development: Write and execute code in real-time.
Collaboration: Share notebooks with your team and collaborate seamlessly.
Visualization: Easily visualize data with built-in charting tools.
Integration: Integrate with various data sources and libraries.

🪜Step-by-Step: How to Create and Use Notebooks in Databricks

Step 1: Create a New Notebook

Either click on New in Welcome Page or In your Databricks workspace, click on the Workspace tab on the left sidebar.
Click on the Create button and select Notebook.
Enter a name for your notebook.
Choose the default language (Python, SQL, Scala, or R).
Click Create.

Step 2: Attach a Cluster

In your new notebook, click on the Attach button at the top.
Select an existing cluster or create a new one.
Wait for the cluster to start and attach to your notebook.

Step 3: Write and Execute Code

In a code cell, write your code. There are 4 languages which can be used, and we will use Python in this example and a sample table. For example, to read a table:

%python df = spark.read.table("samples.accuweather.forecast_daily_calendar_imperial")

2.Execute the cell by pressing Shift + Enter or clicking the Run button.

Step 4: Display Data

To display a Data Frame, use the display function:

%python display(df)

Step 5: To Print Schema of Data

Use PrintSchema function

%python df.printSchema()

Step 6: We can use Markdown cell to give heading

Click on + and then Text to select Markdown cell

Step 7: Rename the Notebook

Double click on top left to rename the notebook and you are all set as there is no need to save it manually

Pro Tips for Using Databricks Notebooks

Use Markdown cells to add documentation and explanations.
Utilize Magic Commands (e.g., %sql, %md) to switch between languages.
Leverage Widgets to create interactive controls for your notebook.
Explore the Databricks Documentation for advanced features and best practices.

Final Thoughts

Databricks notebooks are an essential tool for data professionals. They provide an interactive and collaborative environment for data exploration, analysis, and machine learning. By following this guide, you can quickly get started with notebooks in Databricks and unlock their full potential.

Re: Getting Started with Notebooks in Databricks

Advika — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:22:01 GMT

Thanks for sharing @bhanu_gautam. This will surely help beginners get started with Databricks Notebooks.

Re: Getting Started with Notebooks in Databricks

bhanu_gautam — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:02:57 GMT

Thank you @Advika

topic Re: Getting Started with Notebooks in Databricks in Community Articles

Getting Started with Notebooks in Databricks

📓Why Use Databricks Notebooks?

🪜Step-by-Step: How to Create and Use Notebooks in Databricks

Step 1: Create a New Notebook

Step 2: Attach a Cluster

Step 3: Write and Execute Code

Step 4: Display Data

Step 5: To Print Schema of Data

Step 6: We can use Markdown cell to give heading

Step 7: Rename the Notebook

Pro Tips for Using Databricks Notebooks

Final Thoughts

Re: Getting Started with Notebooks in Databricks

Re: Getting Started with Notebooks in Databricks