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Welcome! Are you completely new to programming? If not then we presume you will be looking for information about why and how to get started with Python. Fortunately an experienced programmer in any programming language [whatever it may be] can pick up Python very quickly. It's also easy for beginners to use and learn, so jump in!
Installing
Installing Python is generally easy, and nowadays many Linux and UNIX distributions include a recent Python. Even some Windows computers [notably those from HP] now come with Python already installed. If you do need to install Python and aren't confident about the task you can find a few notes on the BeginnersGuide/Download wiki page, but installation is unremarkable on most platforms.
Looking for Something Specific?
If you want to know whether a particular application, or a library with particular functionality, is available in Python there are a number of possible sources of information. The Python web site provides a Python Package Index [also known as the Cheese Shop, a reference to the Monty Python script of that name]. There is also a search page for a number of sources of Python-related information. Failing that, just Google for a phrase including the word ''python'' and you may well get the result you need. If all else fails, ask on the python newsgroup and there's a good chance someone will put you on the right track.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question, it's a good idea to try the FAQ, which answers the most commonly asked questions about Python.
Looking to Help?
If you want to help to develop Python, take a look at the developer area for further information. Please note that you don't have to be an expert programmer to help. The documentation is just as important as the compiler, and still needs plenty of work!
Python is a cross-platform programming language, which means that it can run on multiple platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux, and has even been ported to the Java and .NET virtual machines. It is free and open-source.
Even though most of today's Linux and Mac have Python pre-installed in it, the version might be out-of-date. So, it is always a good idea to install the most current version.
The Easiest Way to Run Python
The easiest way to run Python is by using Thonny IDE.
The Thonny IDE comes with the latest version of Python bundled in it. So you don't have to install Python separately.
Follow the following steps to run Python on your computer.
- Download Thonny IDE.
- Run the installer to install Thonny on your computer.
- Go to: File > New. Then save the file with
.pyextension. For example,hello.py,example.py, etc.
You can give any name to the file. However, the file name should end with .py - Write Python code in the file and save it. Running Python using Thonny IDE
- Then Go to Run > Run current script or simply click F5 to run it.
Install Python Separately
If you don't want to use Thonny, here's how you can install and run Python on your computer.
- Download the latest version of Python.
- Run the installer file and follow the steps to install Python
During the install process, check Add Python to environment variables. This will add Python to environment variables, and you can run Python from any part of the computer.Also, you can choose the path where Python is installed.
Installing Python on the computer
Once you finish the installation process, you can run Python.
1. Run Python in Immediate mode
Once Python is installed, typing python in the command line will invoke the interpreter in immediate mode. We can directly type in Python code, and press Enter to get the output.
Try typing in 1 + 1 and press enter. We get 2 as the output. This prompt can be used as a calculator. To exit this mode, type quit[] and press enter.
2. Run Python in the Integrated Development Environment [IDE]
We can use any text editing software to write a Python script file.
We just need to save it with the .py extension. But using an IDE can make our life a lot easier. IDE is a piece of
software that provides useful features like code hinting, syntax highlighting and checking, file explorers, etc. to the programmer for application development.
By the way, when you install Python, an IDE named IDLE is also installed. You can use it to run Python on your computer. It's a decent IDE for beginners.
When you open IDLE, an interactive Python Shell is opened.
Now you can create a new file and save it with .py extension. For example, hello.py
Write Python code in the file and save it. To run the file, go to Run > Run Module or simply click F5.
Your first Python Program
Now that we have Python up and running, we can write our first Python program.
Let's create a very simple program called Hello World. A "Hello, World!" is a simple
program that outputs Hello, World! on the screen. Since it's a very simple program, it's often used to introduce a new programming language to beginners.
Type the following code in any text editor or an IDE and save it as hello_world.py
print["Hello, world!"]Then, run the file. You will get the following output.
Hello, world!
Congratulations! You just wrote your first program in Python.
As you can see, this was a pretty easy task. This is the beauty of the Python programming language.