checkmark

Python

Basics of Python

Installing Python Setting up a Development Environment Writing and Running Your First Python Program Python's Syntax and Indentation

Variables and Data Types

Variables in python Numeric Data Types (int, float) Text Data Type (str) Boolean Data Type (bool) Type Conversion (Casting) Dynamic Typing in Python

Control Flow

Conditional Statements (if, elif, else) Comparison Operators Logical Operators Loops (for and while) Loop Control Statements (break and continue)

Functions

Defining Functions Function Parameters and Arguments Return Statements Scope and Lifetime of Variables Lambda Functions Recursion

Data Structures

Lists and List Operations Dictionaries and Dictionary Operations Tuples Sets List Comprehensions Dictionary Comprehensions

File Handling

Opening and Closing Files Reading and Writing Text Files Handling Exceptions in File Operations

Modules and Libraries

Importing Modules Commonly Used Standard Libraries External Libraries: NumPy and Pandas Installing and Managing Libraries with pip

Error Handling

Exceptions in Python Handling Exceptions with try and except Custom Exceptions
menu Back to Edkool

Installing Python

Installing Python

Before you can start coding in Python, you need to install the Python interpreter on your computer. Python is available for various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. In this section, we'll guide you through the installation process.

Download Python

The first step is to download the Python installer for your operating system. To do this, follow these instructions:

For Windows:

  1. Visit the official Python website at python.org.

  2. Click on the "Downloads" tab.

  3. Under "Python Releases for Windows," click on the "Download" button for the latest version of Python (e.g., Python 3.9.7).

  4. Scroll down and select the installer that matches your system, either 32-bit or 64-bit. Most modern systems use 64-bit.

  5. Run the downloaded installer.

For macOS:

  1. Visit the official Python website at python.org.

  2. Scroll down to the "Stable Releases" section.

  3. Click on the "macOS 64-bit installer" link to download the installer for the latest version of Python (e.g., Python 3.9.7).

  4. Run the downloaded installer.

For Linux:

Python is pre-installed on most Linux distributions. To check if Python is installed, open a terminal and type python3 or python (depending on your distribution) to see if the Python interpreter starts. If it's not installed, use your package manager to install Python. For Debian-based systems (e.g., Ubuntu), use:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3

Installation Steps

Once you've downloaded the installer, follow these general installation steps:

  1. Run the installer, and you'll see a screen that allows you to customize the installation.

  2. Important: Check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" during installation. This makes it easier to run Python from the command line.

  3. Click "Install Now" (or similar) to start the installation process.

  4. Python will be installed to the default location on your system.

  5. After installation, you can verify if Python is installed correctly by opening your command prompt or terminal and running:

    python --version

    This command should display the Python version you installed.

Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

While Python can be run from the command line, many developers prefer using Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) to write and test their code. There are several popular Python IDEs available, such as PyCharm, Visual Studio Code, and Jupyter Notebook. You can choose one that best suits your needs and preferences.

With Python successfully installed, you're now ready to write and run Python programs. In the next section, we'll guide you through writing your first Python program.

Next Setting up a Development Environment