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Python Getting Started

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Python Install
Many PCs and Macs will have python already installed.

To check if you have python installed on a Windows PC, search in the start bar for
Python or run the following on the Command Line (cmd.exe):

C:\Users\Your Name>python --version

To check if you have python installed on a Linux or Mac, then on linux open the
command line or on Mac open the Terminal and type:

python --version

If you find that you do not have Python installed on your computer, then you can
download it for free from the following website: https://www.python.org/

Python Quickstart
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Python is an interpreted programming language, this means that as a developer you

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The way to run a python file is like this on the command line:
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C:\Users\Your Name>python helloworld.py

Where "helloworld.py" is the name of your python file.

Let's write our first Python file, called helloworld.py, which can be done in any text
editor.

helloworld.py

print("Hello, World!")

Simple as that. Save your file. Open your command line, navigate to the directory where
you saved your file, and run:

C:\Users\Your Name>python helloworld.py

The output should read:

Hello, World!

Congratulations, you have written and executed your first Python program.

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 W3Schools' Python Editor 

We have an online Python editor where you can execute your own Python code and see
the result:

Example Get your own Python Server

Try our online Python editor:

print("Hello, World!")

Try it Yourself »

This editor will be used in the entire tutorial to demonstrate the different aspects of
Python.

Python Version
To check the Python version of the editor, you can find it by importing the sys module:

Example
Check the Python version of the editor:

import sys

print(sys.version)

Try it Yourself »

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You will learn more about importing modules in our Python Modules chapter.
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The Python Command Line
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To test a short amount of code in python sometimes it is quickest and easiest not to
write the code in a file. This is made possible because Python can be run as a command
line itself.

Type the following on the Windows, Mac or Linux command line:

C:\Users\Your Name>python

Or, if the "python" command did not work, you can try "py":

C:\Users\Your Name>py

From there you can write any python, including our hello world example from earlier in
the tutorial:

C:\Users\Your Name>python
Python 3.6.4 (v3.6.4:d48eceb, Dec 19 2017, 06:04:45) [MSC v.1900 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> print("Hello, World!")

Which will write "Hello, World!" in the command line:

C:\Users\Your Name>python
Python 3.6.4 (v3.6.4:d48eceb, Dec 19 2017, 06:04:45) [MSC v.1900 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

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>>> print("Hello, World!")

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you are done in the python command line, you can simply type the following
to quit the python command line interface:

exit()

Video: Python Get Started

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