Python Tutorial for Beginners with VS Code 🐍

Summary

In this video, Dave introduces Python as a great programming language for both beginners and those with experience in other languages like JavaScript. He highlights Python's simplicity, versatility, large community, and job market demand. The tutorial guides viewers through installing Python and Visual Studio Code, setting up a Python environment, and creating and running a simple Python script. Dave emphasizes the importance of progress over perfection and encourages viewers to continue learning and coding. He also provides various methods to run Python files and ensures that viewers are set up to start their Python programming journey.

Takeaways

• 🐍 Python is a great first or additional programming language to learn.
• 💻 Python is easy to learn and use with a simple and straightforward syntax.
• 🔧 Python is versatile, used in applications from web development to scientific computing and data analysis.
• 🌐 Python has a large and active community with many resources and support available.
• 🚀 Python is excellent for rapid prototyping due to its simplicity and ease of use.
• 💼 Python skills are in high demand in the job market.
• 📥 Download Python from python.org and choose the version appropriate for your operating system.
• 🛠 Install Visual Studio Code as your code editor and add the Python extension.
• ⚙️ Use the command palette in Visual Studio Code to select the Python interpreter and open a terminal.
• 📁 Create and save a Python file in Visual Studio Code, and use different methods to run Python commands or files.

Q & A

Why is Python a great first programming language to learn?

Python is easy to learn and use due to its simple and straightforward syntax, making it an excellent language for beginners.

How is Python versatile in its applications?

Python is used in a wide range of applications, from web development to scientific computing and data analysis.

What are the benefits of Python's large and active community?

The large and active community provides extensive resources and support, making it easier for learners and developers to find help and information.

Why is Python good for rapid prototyping?

Python's simplicity and ease of use make it an excellent choice for rapid prototyping, allowing developers to quickly test and iterate on their ideas.

What job opportunities are available for Python developers?

Python is one of the most popular programming languages, leading to high demand in the job market for Python developers.

What are the first steps to set up Python on your computer?

First, download and install Python from python.org. Then, install a code editor such as Visual Studio Code.

How do you install the Python extension in Visual Studio Code?

In Visual Studio Code, go to the Extensions view by clicking the Extensions icon on the left, search for 'Python', and install the extension provided by Microsoft.

How do you open the command palette in Visual Studio Code?

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Command+Shift+P on Mac) to open the command palette in Visual Studio Code.

How can you verify your Python installation in the terminal?

On Windows, type `py -3 --version`. On Mac or Linux, type `python3 --version`.

What is the Python REPL and how do you access it?

The Python REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) allows you to run Python commands interactively. You can access it by typing `py` (or `python3` on Mac/Linux) in the terminal and pressing enter.

How do you create and run a Python file in Visual Studio Code?

Create a new file with a `.py` extension, write your Python code, save the file, and then run it by pressing the play button in the top right, using the terminal command `py filename.py`, or right-clicking the file in the file tree and selecting 'Run Python File in Terminal'.

Outlines

00:00

🐍 Introduction to Learning Python

Dave introduces Python as a versatile programming language, highlighting its benefits for both beginners and those who already know other languages like JavaScript. He shares his enthusiasm for teaching Python and mentions that all resources will be available in the video description. Dave also provides reasons to learn Python, such as its simplicity, versatility, large community, rapid prototyping capabilities, and high demand in the job market. He then instructs viewers to visit python.org to download and install Python, selecting the appropriate version for their operating system.

05:01

🔧 Setting Up Visual Studio Code

Dave guides viewers through installing Visual Studio Code, a recommended code editor for the Python course. He explains how to download and install Visual Studio Code from code.visualstudio.com, and then walks through the steps to open the editor. Dave shows how to install the Python extension in Visual Studio Code, which provides features like IntelliSense, linting, and debugging. He demonstrates how to create a new folder for the lesson, open the command palette to select the Python interpreter, and verifies the Python installation by checking the version.

10:01

💻 Running Python Commands and Writing Code

Dave explains how to open a terminal window in Visual Studio Code and use it to run Python commands. He details the differences in terminal commands for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and demonstrates basic Python operations in the REPL (Read-Evaluate-Print Loop) environment. Dave shows how to create a new Python file, write a simple 'Hello, World!' program, and save the file with a .py extension. He explains three different ways to run the Python file: using the play button in Visual Studio Code, typing the command in the terminal, and right-clicking the file in the file tree. Dave concludes by encouraging viewers to keep progressing and thanking them for their support.

Keywords

💡Python

Python is a high-level programming language known for its easy-to-read syntax and versatility. In the video, Python is introduced as an ideal first programming language due to its simplicity and wide range of applications, including web development, scientific computing, and data analysis.

💡Syntax

Syntax refers to the set of rules that define the structure and composition of statements in a programming language. The video highlights Python's simple and straightforward syntax, making it accessible for beginners to learn and use effectively.

💡Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular code editor developed by Microsoft. The video recommends using VS Code for writing and running Python code due to its extensive features, including IntelliSense, debugging, and a wide range of extensions.

💡Interpreter

An interpreter is a type of computer program that directly executes instructions written in a programming or scripting language. The video explains that Python uses an interpreter, which allows for easier reading and writing of code compared to low-level languages.

💡REPL

REPL stands for Read-Evaluate-Print Loop, an interactive programming environment that takes single user inputs, executes them, and returns the result to the user. In the video, the Python REPL is demonstrated as a way to quickly test and execute Python commands.

💡Extensions

Extensions are add-ons that enhance the functionality of software. In the context of the video, the Python extension for Visual Studio Code provides features like IntelliSense, linting, and debugging, which are essential for an efficient coding experience.

💡IntelliSense

IntelliSense is a code-completion aid that helps developers by providing code suggestions and error checking. The video mentions that the Python extension for Visual Studio Code includes IntelliSense, making coding faster and reducing errors.

💡Community

The community refers to the group of users and developers who contribute to and support a programming language or software. The video emphasizes Python's large and active community, which offers a wealth of resources, tutorials, and support for learners.

💡Terminal

The terminal is a text-based interface used to interact with the operating system. In the video, the terminal is used to execute Python commands and scripts, showing different ways to open and use the terminal within Visual Studio Code.

💡Rapid Prototyping

Rapid prototyping involves quickly creating a preliminary version of a program to test ideas and functionality. The video highlights Python's simplicity and ease of use as key factors that make it suitable for rapid prototyping.

Highlights

Python is a great first programming language to learn.

Python is also a valuable addition to your resume if you already know another programming language like JavaScript.

Python's simple and straightforward syntax makes it easy to learn and use.

Python is a versatile language used in a wide range of applications, from web development to scientific computing and data analysis.

Python has a large and active community, providing many resources and support for learners.

Python is excellent for rapid prototyping due to its simplicity and ease of use.

Python is in high demand in the job market, making it a valuable skill to have.

To start learning Python, download it from python.org, where the site will identify the correct version for your operating system.

Visual Studio Code is recommended as the code editor for following along with Python lessons.

After installing Visual Studio Code, install the Python extension to get features like IntelliSense, linting, and debugging.

Use the command palette in Visual Studio Code to select the Python interpreter and verify the Python installation.

Create a new Python file in Visual Studio Code to write and execute Python commands.

You can run Python files in Visual Studio Code using the play button, the command line, or right-clicking the file in the file tree.

Python's REPL environment allows for immediate execution of Python commands, useful for quick calculations and testing code snippets.

Python is a high-level language, making it more user-friendly to read and write compared to low-level machine-oriented languages.

Transcripts

python is a great first programming

language to learn but if you already

know another programming language like

JavaScript python is still a great

addition to your resume

[Music]

hello and welcome I'm Dave today we will

begin learning the Python programming

language and I'll provide links to all

resources in the description below

congratulations on your decision to

Learn Python it's a great first or

additional programming language to learn

but don't take my word for it I asked

chat GPT why anyone should learn Python

and here's what it had to say python is

easy to learn and use it has a simple

and straightforward syntax and it's an

excellent language for beginners

versatility python is a versatile

language and it's used in a wide range

of applications from web development to

Scientific Computing and data analysis a

large and active Community python has a

large and active community of users and

developers and there's a lot of

resources and support available for you

good for rapid prototyping Python's

Simplicity and ease of use make it an

excellent choice for rapid prototyping

and job opportunities as one of the most

popular programming languages Python's

in high demand in the job market top

five reasons essentially that python is

a good programming language to learn and

add to your resume and we need to start

with the right tools so go to python.org

which you should see here in my URL bar

and from there we can download python so

there is a downloads Tab and when you

Mouse over it should show you the

current download for your operating

system as you see I'm on Windows here

and it says we are currently at python

3.11 0.2 of course if you're watching

this in the future there may be a newer

version now if you're not on Windows you

can also choose Mac OS or other

platforms over here and note here it

says Windows note that python 3.9 plus

cannot be used on Windows 7 or earlier

so if you're using Windows 7 or earlier

maybe you need to go to this Windows

link and find an older version of python

to run which should still allow you to

complete this Python tutorial so for now

click on the download for your operating

system download and install Python and

then come back to the video now that

you've got python downloaded and

installed we're going to install a code

editor and there are many different ones

to choose from my choice is Visual

Studio code and I'm going to use it

throughout the following python lessons

as I build the course so to follow along

with me I recommend that you download

and install Visual Studio code for your

operating system again the website

should I identify which platform you're

on Windows Mac Linux Etc and I'm at

code.visualstudio.com and then download

the version for your operating system

and install that after you install go

ahead and open Visual Studio code and

then come back to the video and now with

Visual Studio code open on your machine

you should see some type of welcome

screen like I have here you can go ahead

and click the X to close that we won't

need that but afterwards we need to

install the python extension for visual

studio code now on the left hand we see

the activity bar and we need to click

the extensions icon right over here on

the left so I'm going to click that and

then I'm going to search for Python and

we should see python from Microsoft if

you click on that you can see python

intellisense linting debugging and other

things that are available now I've

already installed this extension so I

have uninstall and disable you will need

to go ahead and and click install that

should show up here where I have

uninstall and install this extension for

visual studio code it should not take

long at all after you do that you can go

ahead and close out of this you can

click the file Explorer icon over here

just to show the file tree again for

whatever folder that you currently have

Visual Studio code open in I should

mention that I created a folder you can

see I have lesson one as the name of my

folder and there are currently no files

in it whatsoever so my visual studio

code is empty my folder is empty over

here now in Visual Studio code we're

going to open the command palette and to

do that I'm going to press Ctrl shift

and the letter P if you're using a Mac

when I say control you probably need to

press command so either command shift in

the letter P or control shift in the

letter P that will open a command

palette and you can see my Top Choice

says python select interpreter that may

not be your Top Choice so you can just

start by typing the word Python and

seeing all of the different commands

that come up and you could type all of

this out or you could scroll through and

find the select interpreter once you do

that it's going to show the version of

python that you currently have installed

you can see I have python 3.11.2 64-bit

and I'm just going to select that once

I've made that selection I can then open

a terminal window and there's a terminal

menu here at the top when I click that

you can go to new terminal or you can

also just use the shortcut which is what

I usually do a new terminal is Ctrl

shift and the back tick or just control

backtick to open a terminal that may not

be new so if you already had it open say

I could type something here like my name

which won't really amount to anything if

I were to try to run my name for example

that wouldn't work but if I close it and

then press Ctrl and backtick it opens up

the same terminal not a new terminal so

that is the difference control and

backtick opens an existing terminal if

one exists and control shift back tick

opens a new terminal and you can have

more than one terminal if you click this

plus button here you can see now I've

got two terminals open mine says bash

because that is my default terminal

however you might have other choices on

Windows there's Powershell there's a

command prompt I'm using git bash if you

don't have that installed that's okay

you can use a command prompt and now I

have a command prompt terminal window

open and you can see the difference over

here one's named command and one's named

bash so either would work and on Mac or

Linux it could be different for you as

well but now we need to verify our

python installation so on Windows I'm

going to type Pi just P Y dash three and

then dash dash version now that's for

Windows if I'm on Mac or Linux I need to

type Python 3 then dash dash version and

that would work on Mac or Linux and then

you press enter so I'm going to go back

to what I need to type for Windows just

keep that in mind anytime you see me

type Pi on the command line like I am

now if you're on Mac or Linux you need

to type python3 so it could be just a

little different now I'm going to type

dash dash version and press enter and it

gives us the version of python that we

currently have installed I have python

3.11.2 now we can drag this window for a

little more room also so I'll drag this

up to make this command prompt or

terminal because I'm not really using a

command prompt I'm in git bash But

whichever terminal window you have open

you can make bigger by dragging it like

I just did now I'm just going to type Pi

once again on Mac and Linux type python3

instead but now I'll just press enter

with nothing after that and now you can

see we have something different here we

can actually run python commands right

here at this prompt you see the three

arrows this is the python reple and that

stands for read a value weight print

Loop and we can just put in a command

python for example can be a calculator

so I can press two plus two press enter

and it outputs 4. I can also do

something with a string like my name

which I had typed earlier but let's do

this I'll say name equals

Dave and now I'll press enter notice

there's nothing output currently but if

I type name

it's going to Output my name we assigned

the string Dave to a variable called

name and so then when we typed name it

output the string Dave now it's good to

know that we can run commands at the

prompt like this but this is not how

we're usually going to provide commands

to The Interpreter we are going to do

that with files and essentially creating

a file is a bunch of commands put into

one file that we tell python to execute

now python is not a low level language

in a low-level language is more machine

oriented instead Python's a high level

language and it uses an interpreter and

this allows us to write code which is

easier for people to read so in other

words python is more user friendly to

read and to write so for example when I

want to get out of this I'm just going

to type quit and I need to put

parentheses after and press enter and

now we have quit our repel environment

and we're just back to our normal prompt

here now there are several ways to close

this terminal window preview previously

you saw me click the x that works and

then if I wanted to reopen it and still

have this here I could do that with

control and backtick however I could

click the trash can and then that will

get rid of this window and if I were to

open it this stuff wouldn't be here any

longer so I'm just going to click X in

case I want to bring that back up so I

mentioned creating a file and we can do

that a couple of ways in Visual Studio

code one would be to go over here to

this file tree that we see on the left

and click the plus button by the file

icon that would create a new file and

then we could name it I can also just

press Ctrl n for a shortcut and that

starts a new file which is what I'm

going to do now and then I'm going to

say something like greeting

equals and I'll put

hello world because that's something

just traditional that you have to have

any time you're learning a new

programming language and after that then

I'm going to say print and then I'm

going to pass in that greeting variable

that we created above on the previous

line now notice this file is Untitled

and it has a DOT here meaning we haven't

saved this yet so I'm going to press

Ctrl S I could go to the file menu and

from there I could also choose save or

save as I'm just going to do control s

and it's still going to ask me what to

name the file and I'm going to save it

in my lesson one folder so I'm going to

name this hello and then I want it to

end with the dot py extension right now

it says save as type plain text that is

not what I want I want to find the

python extensions here inside of the

file types and make sure I'm saving as

type python which you can see it can

have different types I'm using the dot

py so I'll click save now I have saved

my python file type

hello.py and you can see Visual Studio

code now acknowledges this is a python

file type and it is color-coded part of

the code so the string has a different

color and the command here for print has

a different color the parentheses are

also in a different color so it makes it

a little easier to read the code and now

that we've created this file we can run

this command or commands whatever we

would have in the file we can tell

python to execute in three different

ways one is to go to this play button

that we see over here in the top right

of Visual Studio code now there's a

little carrot here that I'm going to

click it gives us a drop down I'm going

to choose run python file and when I do

that it opens up this terminal window

notice it's named python over here now

it's not the one we had previously named

bash so I just clicked the trash can to

get rid of that but here is what it ran

when we told it to run the file it put

this command and this said exactly where

the python executable is and then after

that we have this other long string here

that says exactly where the Hello dot Pi

file is and then we get the output from

that file that says hello world now when

we were to if we were to run this file

ourselves we would not have to type all

of this although we could copy and paste

this in we can use a shortcut or two for

this one we already know that we can

just call python in windows with py

again Mac and Linux type python3

after that a space and since we're

already in this lesson one directory

that I have or folder you could call I

said directory but it's the same thing

if you've created a folder with a

different name you would be in that

folder so if you're already in that

folder and you see your file over here I

can just type in hello Dot py and now

we're telling python to run that hello

file that will accomplish the same thing

that we saw executed above when we used

the play button up above so now I'm

going to press enter

and we get the same output hello world

also we could go to the file tree and

right click I believe in Mac that would

be a command click and then we scroll

down here and we find run current or run

python file in terminal so I'll select

that and it runs it again just like when

we did the play button so you see these

extra commands so three different ways

to run our python file so

congratulations again on getting started

with python you've created your first

file you've got it all set up on your

computer and we've got much more to

learn ahead remember to keep striving

for Progress over Perfection and a

little progress every day will go a very

long way please give this video a like

if it's helped you and thank you for

watching and subscribing you're helping

my channel grow have a great day and

let's write more code together very soon