Introduction to and setup of Python

Python This book will be helpful until I finish this class.

Why learn Python?

Python is a great language to start programming with for several reasons

1. It's free
2. It's flexible
3. It's fun to learn
4. It is used by many companies, and even companies that don't write in Python want programmers that know Python because that shows that the programmers are there because they like programming, not for the income programming can provide.

Go to Python.org to find out more about what you can get for free. It is a lot. It also has links to books that you can pay for, But I'm hoping that I can provide enough information that you won't need to buy a book.

Python teaches using fun things like how to make an omelet instead of how to combine 'foo' and 'bar'. If you've ever learned another language you know what I am talking about.

Peter Norvig, Google says this about Python "Python has been an important part of Google since the beginning, and has remained so as the system grows and evolves." NASA also uses Python and so do a growing number of other businesses.

How to get the correct IDLE for you

Downloading Python

Before you start, you need Python on your computer, but you may not need to download it. First of all check (by entering "python" in a command line window) that you don't already have Python installed! If you see a response from a Python interpreter it will include a version number in its inital display. Generally any recent version will do, as Python makes every attempt to maintain backwards compatibility (except 3.x).

If you need to install, you may as well download the most recent stable version. The 2.6 release is the latest in the 2.x series, and 3.0 is the latest in the 3.x series.

If you're running Windows: the most stable Windows download is Python 2.5 for Windows.

If you're running Windows XP: a complete guide to installing ActivePython is at http://www.richarddooling.com/index.php/category/geekophilia/ just ctrl f and type python, it'll take you right there.

If you are using a Mac, see http://www.python.org/download/mac/. MacOS 10.2 (Jaguar), 10.3 (Panther) and 10.4 (Tiger) come with Python already.

For Red Hat/Fedora, install the python2 and python2-devel packages. give: yum install tkinter yum install python-imaging yum install python-tools

For Debian, install the python2.5 and python2.5-dev packages.

For Ubuntu, goto synaptic package manager -> Python programs -> install whichever one that you want, or all of them if you have the space on your harddrive. http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/Download

Starting IDLE

In Linux open your terminal and type idle, windows should have it in your start menu (alternately, just use "python" in a terminal - it's the same thing but without Tk, autoindent, and tooltips showing you what arguments your functions take).

If anyone has questions please first goto Python.org but if that does not resolve your problem feel free to e-mail me DDRArrowStomper@hotmail.com

next: Basic Python Data Types

Further reading

• Wikibooks:Python Programming
• Using Python in a High School Computer Science Program by Jeffrey Elkner
• How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with Python by Allen B. Downey, Jeffrey Elkner and Chris Meyers
• Dive Into Python by Mark Pilgrim
• "Introductory Material on Python"
• Thinking in Python by Bruce Eckel: "This is not an introductory Python book."
• Python Tutorials