Getting Started with Python

Welcome to the guide for getting started with Python development!

Python & Pip: The Essentials

To use Python for development, you need two main things:

Python 3 Interpreter: The program that runs your Python code. pip: The tool to install and manage external Python libraries (packages). Good news: When you install Python 3 (version 3.4+), pip is usually included automatically.

Installation

To get started with Python, you need to install it on your system. Choose the installation guide that corresponds to your operating system:

• macOS
• Linux
• Nix
• Windows

Verifying the Installation

After following the installation instructions for your operating system, you can verify that Python is installed correctly by opening your terminal or command prompt and running:

python3 --version
pip3 --version

You should see the installed Python and pip versions.

Basic Usage

You can run Python scripts by saving them with a .py extension and then executing them in your terminal:

python3 my_script.py

Let's create a simple my_script.py file:

print("Hello, Python!")

Save this file and run it. You should see "Hello, Python!" printed in your terminal.

Next Steps

Now that you have Python installed, you might want to:

• Learn about managing isolated project environments in our Virtual Environments guide.
• Understand how to manage project dependencies using pip in our Managing Dependencies guide.