Skip to main content

Installing Python and Setting Up the Development Environment

In this article, we'll walk through the process of installing Python and setting up your development environment. This is a crucial first step for anyone interested in learning Python, as it allows you to run Python code on your computer. We'll cover different methods to install Python, followed by setting up a text editor and the Python interpreter.

1. Installing Python​

For Windows​

  1. Go to the official Python website at https://www.python.org/.
  2. Hover over the 'Downloads' tab and click on 'Windows'.
  3. Click on the latest Python release. As of this writing, it is Python 3.9.4.
  4. After downloading the executable file, run the installer by double clicking it.
  5. In the first screen of the installation wizard, check the box at the bottom that says 'Add Python 3.9 to PATH'. This step is crucial as it allows your computer to find the Python interpreter.
  6. Click on 'Install Now'.
  7. The installation process should now start. Once it's finished, click 'Close'.

For macOS​

  1. Go to the official Python website at https://www.python.org/.
  2. Hover over the 'Downloads' tab and click on 'macOS'.
  3. Click on the latest Python release.
  4. After downloading the .pkg file, run the installer by double clicking it.
  5. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard.

For Linux​

Most Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed. You can check whether Python is installed and its version by typing the following command in the terminal:

python --version

If Python is not installed or you want to upgrade to a newer version, you can do so by using a package manager like apt for Debian-based distributions or yum for RHEL-based ones. For example, to install Python 3.9 with apt, you would use:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3.9

2. Setting Up a Text Editor​

You'll need a text editor to write Python code. There are many good options available, but for beginners, we recommend starting with either Sublime Text or Visual Studio Code as they are easy to use and support Python syntax highlighting.

Sublime Text​

  1. Download Sublime Text from https://www.sublimetext.com/3.
  2. Install Sublime Text by following the installation instructions.

Visual Studio Code​

  1. Download Visual Studio Code from https://code.visualstudio.com/Download.
  2. Install Visual Studio Code by following the installation instructions.

3. Running Python Code​

Now that you have Python installed and a text editor set up, you can start running Python code.

  1. Open your text editor and write your first Python program: print("Hello, World!").
  2. Save the file with a .py extension, for example, hello_world.py.
  3. Open a terminal.
  4. Navigate to the directory where you saved your Python file.
  5. Type python hello_world.py and hit enter.
  6. You should see Hello, World! printed to your terminal. Congratulations, you just ran your first Python program!

In this article, we've covered the basics of getting Python installed and set up on your computer. You're now ready to start writing and running Python code. Happy coding!