Python : Installation on Windows and Simple Example
What is python?
Python is an interpreted programming language. As it is a programming language so it tells a computer what to do. However, the computer doesn’t read the language directly – there are hundreds of programming languages, and it couldn’t understand them all. So, when someone writes a program, they will write it in their language of choice, and then compile it – that is, turn it in to lots of 0s and 1s, that the computer can easily and quickly understand. A windows program that you buy is already compiled for windows – if you opened the program file up, you’d just get a mass of weird characters and rectangles. Give it a go – find a small windows program, and open it up in notepad or wordpad. See what garbled mess you get.
But that windows program is compiled for windows – no other machine can run that program, unless it has windows. What Python is, is a language which is never actually compiled in full – instead, an interpreter turns each line of code into 0s and 1s that your computer can understand this. And it is done on the fly – it compiles the bits of the program you are using as you are using them. If you were to quit the program and come back another day, it would compile the bits you are using, as you are using them, again. Seems a waste of time? Maybe, but the fact is that when you come back another day, you might be using a Windows instead of a Mac. You might send the program to a friend, who uses another type of computer. Or you might post your program on the internet, where everyone using all different types of systems might download it. That is the wonder of an interpreted programming language – it is like a language that EVERYONE can understand.
How to install python in windows?
If you have to install on linux environment you can follow the below link to install on linux.
http://blog.eduguru.in/python-installation/
For windows, you can download the most stable version of python from the below link.
https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.4.4/python-3.4.4.msi
or
https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/
If you are looking for any specific version then you can download from https://www.python.org/downloads/ .
- Once you have downloaded the Python MSI, simply navigate to the download location on your computer, double clicking the file and pressing Run when the dialog box pops up.
2. If you are the only person who uses your computer, simply leave the “Install for all users” option selected. If you have multiple accounts on your PC and don’t want to install it across all accounts, select the “Install just for me” option then press “Next.”
3. If you want to change the install location, feel free to do so; however, it is best to leave it as is and simply select next.
4. Scroll down in the window and find the “Add Python.exe to Path” and click on the small red “x.” Choose the “Will be installed on local hard drive” option then press “Next.”
5. You will notice that the installation will bring up a command prompt window while Python downloads and installs “Pip.” Pip is just a package management tool. This will allow you to install all the additional Python packages that are available for download.
6. Now that you have completed the installation process, click on “Finish.”
OK! Hopefully now everything is good! Now, to test if that just worked, type this in your DOS window:
python -V
If you forgot a CAPITAL V, you will accidently load python in verbose mode. Give it a go, see what happens. Just press CTRL-D to quit, or type ‘quit’ for quit instructions.
Simple Example:
>>> print “Hello, World!”
>>> 1 + 1
2
>>> 20+80
100
>>> print “I have just installed python” #try me – This is comment which start from #
I have just installed python
>>># print “it nice to write a program in python”
(nothing happens, because the code was after a comment)
