Python Tutorial for Beginners 1: Install and Setup for Mac and Windows

Summary

This tutorial series offers a beginner-friendly introduction to Python programming, covering essential topics such as installation, setting up the development environment, and the basics of Python syntax. The instructor guides viewers through installing Python on both Mac and Windows, using the terminal or command prompt, and demonstrates creating and running a simple 'Hello World' script. The video also touches on using different text editors and IDEs for Python development, with a focus on Sublime Text, Atom, and PyCharm, providing a foundation for further learning in the series.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video series aims to cover the basics of Python programming for beginners or those coming from another language.
• 🛠️ The tutorial will guide viewers on how to install Python and set up a development environment on both Mac and Windows systems.
• 🔍 It's recommended to install Python 3, as Python 2 is outdated and most users are transitioning to Python 3.
• 📚 The script explains how to check if Python is pre-installed on a Mac and how to install the latest version from python.org if it's not.
• 🔄 For Windows users, the video provides a step-by-step guide to install Python and includes adding Python to the system path for easy access.
• 💻 The video mentions using the IDLE application that comes with Python for writing and running scripts.
• 📝 The importance of creating a Python file for multi-line scripts is highlighted, as opposed to using the interactive prompt for testing single lines of code.
• 🔑 The script demonstrates how to write and run a simple 'Hello World' program in Python using both the IDLE application and a command line.
• ✍️ Comments in Python, denoted by the '#' symbol, are used for developer notes and do not affect the script execution.
• 📘 Alternative text editors and IDEs such as Sublime Text, Atom, and PyCharm are suggested for a better coding experience beyond the IDLE application.
• 🔗 Links to more detailed videos and timestamps for different parts of the installation process are provided in the video description for easy navigation.

Q & A

What is the purpose of this series of Python programming videos?

The purpose of this series is to provide a beginner's overview of Python, covering basics such as installation, data types, conditionals, loops, functions, modules, and the standard library, to help those new to programming or transitioning from another language.

Why is Python 3 preferred over Python 2 for new learners?

Python 3 is preferred because it is the newer and more modern version, with almost all current development and support focused on it. Python 2 is no longer maintained, making Python 3 the better choice for new learners.

How can one check if Python is already installed on a Mac?

On a Mac, one can check if Python is pre-installed by opening the terminal and typing 'python --version'. This will display the version of Python if it is installed.

What is the recommended way to install the latest version of Python 3 on a Mac?

The recommended way is to visit python.org, go to the downloads section, select the latest version of Python 3, download the .pkg file, and follow the installation instructions.

How can the 'Python' command be made to default to Python 3 instead of Python 2 on a Mac?

This can be achieved by creating an alias in the .bash_profile file that points the 'Python' command to 'Python3'. Adding the line 'alias python=python3' and saving the file will make this change.

What is the difference between the Python interactive prompt and a Python script file?

The Python interactive prompt allows for one-line commands to be entered and executed immediately. A Python script file, on the other hand, contains multiple lines of code that can be saved and executed as a whole.

How can a Python file be executed from the terminal or command prompt?

To execute a Python file, navigate to the directory containing the file in the terminal or command prompt and type 'python filename.py', replacing 'filename.py' with the actual file name.

What is IDLE and how is it used in the context of this tutorial?

IDLE is a basic Python Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that comes with Python. It can be used to write and run Python scripts. In the tutorial, it is used to create and execute the first Python script.

What are some alternative text editors or IDEs to IDLE for writing Python code?

Some popular alternatives to IDLE include Sublime Text, Atom, and PyCharm. These editors offer additional functionality such as syntax highlighting, code completion, and debugging tools.

How can Python scripts be run from within an alternative text editor like Sublime Text?

In Sublime Text, Python scripts can be run directly from the editor using the 'Tools' menu and selecting 'Build', or by using a keyboard shortcut configured for running the build.

What is the significance of comments in Python code?

Comments in Python, marked by the '#' symbol, are used to describe what the code is doing. They are ignored by the Python interpreter and serve as documentation for developers, helping to explain the purpose and functionality of the code.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to Python Programming Series

The video script introduces a series focused on the basics of Python programming, aimed at beginners or those transitioning from other languages. The speaker plans to cover installation, data types, conditionals, loops, functions, modules, and the standard library. They mention that some topics will be briefly covered with references to more detailed videos for further exploration. The script also addresses the installation process for Python on both Mac and Windows operating systems, emphasizing the use of Python 3.6 as the version of choice.

05:02

💻 Installing Python and Setting Up the Development Environment

This section of the script provides a step-by-step guide on installing Python for Mac users, including checking for pre-installed Python, downloading the latest version from python.org, and installing it. It explains how to create an alias to use the 'python' command for Python 3. The script then shifts to Windows installation, detailing the process of checking for Python, downloading it from the official site, and ensuring it's added to the system path. The speaker also discusses using the IDLE application that comes with Python for writing and running scripts.

10:04

✍️ Writing and Running the First Python Script

The script moves on to writing the first Python script using the IDLE application. It demonstrates how to create a new file, write a 'Hello World' print statement, and save the script. The process of running the script from the terminal or command prompt is explained. The video also touches on the use of comments in Python scripts for developer reference. The speaker suggests that while IDLE is sufficient for beginners, more advanced programmers might prefer other text editors or IDEs like Sublime Text, Atom, or PyCharm, which offer additional features.

15:04

🌟 Conclusion and Call to Action

The final paragraph wraps up the video by summarizing the content covered, which includes installing Python on Mac and Windows, running Python interactively, and creating and executing a Python script. The speaker previews the next topic of the series, which will be about variables and data types, specifically strings. They encourage viewers to ask questions in the comments and offer support by liking, sharing, or contributing through Patreon. A reminder to subscribe for future videos concludes the script.

Keywords

💡Python programming

Python programming refers to the process of writing code in the Python language to create software applications. It is the main focus of the video, which aims to provide a beginner's overview of Python. The script discusses the basics of Python programming, including installation, setting up the development environment, and writing simple scripts.

💡Development environment

A development environment is a set of tools and settings that facilitate the process of writing, testing, and debugging code. In the context of the video, the development environment involves installing Python and setting up a text editor or an IDE like IDLE, Sublime Text, or PyCharm, which are mentioned in the script.

💡Data types

Data types define the kind of data a variable can hold, such as integers, strings, or lists. The video script mentions that the series will cover how to work with different data types in Python, which is fundamental for understanding how to store and manipulate data within Python programs.

💡Conditionals

Conditionals are programming constructs that allow for branching in the execution of code based on whether a certain condition is true or false. The script indicates that the tutorial series will explain how to use conditionals in Python to control the flow of a program.

💡Loops and iterations

Loops and iterations are mechanisms in programming that allow for the repetition of code blocks. The video script includes loops and iterations as part of the Python basics that will be covered, showing how to execute code multiple times with potentially changing conditions.

💡Functions

Functions are reusable blocks of code that perform a specific task and can be called from other parts of a program. The script mentions creating functions as part of the Python programming basics, which helps in organizing and modularizing code for better maintainability and reusability.

💡Modules

Modules in Python are files containing functions and variables that can be imported into other Python scripts. The video script discusses importing modules as a way to extend the functionality of Python programs by using pre-built code from other sources.

💡Standard library

The standard library is a collection of modules that come with Python, providing a wide range of functionalities out of the box. The script mentions working with the standard library as part of the Python fundamentals, which includes using built-in modules for tasks like file handling, networking, and more.

💡IDLE

IDLE is the Integrated Development and Learning Environment that comes with Python, designed for writing and testing Python scripts. The script uses IDLE as an example of a simple editor that beginners can use to write and run their Python code.

💡Text editors

Text editors are programs used for editing plain text files, which is essential for writing code. The video script mentions text editors like Sublime Text and Atom, which offer more advanced features compared to basic editors like Notepad, and are suitable for Python development.

💡IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

An Integrated Development Environment is a more advanced tool than a text editor, providing features like code completion, debugging, and project management. The script refers to PyCharm as an example of an IDE, which can enhance the Python development experience with its comprehensive set of features.

💡Command prompt

The command prompt, also known as CMD on Windows, is a command-line interface for running commands and interacting with the operating system. In the script, the command prompt is used to check if Python is installed, to install Python, and to execute Python scripts.

💡Terminal

The terminal is a command-line interface on Unix-based systems like macOS and Linux, allowing users to execute commands and manage files and processes. The script uses the terminal to demonstrate how to check for Python installation and to run Python scripts on a Mac.

💡Comment

Comments in programming are lines of text that are ignored by the interpreter and are used to explain the code. The script shows how to add an inline comment in Python using the pound sign (#) and explains that comments are for developers to understand the code better.

Highlights

Introduction to a series of videos covering the basics of Python programming.

Addressing the need for a beginner's overview of Python for those starting out or coming from another language.

Coverage of setting up Python, working with data types, conditionals, loops, functions, modules, and the standard library.

Reference to more detailed videos for certain topics already covered.

Instructions on installing Python and setting up the development environment on both Mac and Windows.

Checking if Python is pre-installed on a Mac and how to check the Python version.

The recommendation to use Python 3 over Python 2 for new learners.

Downloading and installing the latest version of Python 3 from the official website.

Creating an alias to make 'Python' command default to Python 3.

Instructions for installing Python 3 on Windows, including adding Python to the system path.

How to verify the Python installation by checking the version in the command prompt.

Using IDLE, the Python editor that comes with the Python download, to write and run Python scripts.

Writing a 'Hello World' script in Python and running it from the terminal or command prompt.

Demonstration of how to write and run a Python script using a plain text editor.

Explanation of Python's inline comments and their usage in scripts.

Recommendations for alternative text editors and IDEs for Python development.

How to run Python scripts directly from an advanced text editor like Sublime Text.

Invitation for viewers to ask questions and support the tutorial series.

Transcripts

hey there how's it going everybody in

this series of videos we'll be going

over the basics of Python programming

now I get a lot of messages from people

who say that they enjoy my Python videos

but that they're either just getting

started out in programming or coming

from another language and would like a

beginner's overview of Python so that

they can better understand the more

advanced topics and that's what we're

going to do here we're going to cover

how to get up and running with Python

how to work with the different data

types how to work with conditionals and

loops and iterations how to create

functions also importing modules and

working with the standard library so

basically everything that you need to

know in order to have a firm

understanding of the Python fundamentals

now one thing I do want to point out is

that throughout these tutorials I'm

going to go over a few topics that I've

already made eat more detailed videos

about and anytime that happens I'll

touch on the basics of that topic but

then reference the more detailed video

if you'd like to see more examples and

that will allow us to move along at a

good pace so let's go ahead and get

started so first we're going to learn

how to install Python and set up our

development environment and we're going

to look at how to do this on both Mac

and Windows and this is pretty

straightforward process

so first we'll look at how to do this on

a Mac but if you're on a Windows machine

then you can look in the description

section below and I'll put a link to the

time stamp where we start the

installation for Windows and that way

you can skip ahead if you want or if you

already have Python installed for your

operating system and I also put a link

to the time stamp or both of these

installations are complete so that you

can skip to where we're ready to write

some code so for a Mac Python usually

comes pre-installed the check if Python

is pre-installed then we can just open

up our terminal and within our terminal

we can say Python - - version now we can

see here that the default Python is

Python - 7 now it used to be more

controversial as to which version you

want to use but almost everyone is

moving over to Python 3 and if you're

learning Python then you're definitely

going to want to go with Python 3 unless

you have a really good reason to do

otherwise so let's go ahead and install

the latest version of Python 3 so to do

this we're just going to pull up an

internet browser and we're going to go

to the Python website which is here at

python.org and from here we can go to

downloads and we can see that it already

detected that we're on a Mac and has

offered up either python 3 or python 2

and

you want to go with the latest version

Python 3.6 so that's going to download a

pkg file and we will click on this to go

ahead and start the installation now

this is a pretty standard walkthrough

here if you've installed software before

then all a lot of this will look

familiar so we're just going to agree to

some terms you can change the install

location if you want I'm just going to

leave that as default and you may need

to put in your password to install this

now once that's finished installing it

will place a Python 3:6 directory in

your Applications folder and if we open

up our Applications folder and scroll

down here a bit and you can see I have

an old version of Python 3 5 here but it

installed this Python 3 6 and if we open

this up and look inside here and we can

see that we have this ID or Idol

application and we'll come back to that

in just a second so now that we have

python 3 6 installed let's go back to

our terminal and check our python

version again so if i run that actually

let me close down the terminal and open

this back up just so that we're sure

that we're starting with a fresh slate

so now if I run that python version

again then most likely you're going to

see that it still says python 2 7 now

the reason is because when we installed

Python 3 it actually uses this Python 3

command instead so if I instead use this

Python 3 command and check that version

and we can see that we get python 3 6

that we just installed now if we want

the Python command to use Python 3 then

one way we can do this is to create an

alias now to do this we can add a line

to this dot bash profile file and if you

don't know what that is then don't worry

about it too much this is just going to

allow us to associate the Python command

with python 3 so you can use any editor

to edit this file but since I'm already

in the terminal I'm just going to go

ahead and use nano and nano is pretty

easy for beginners so I will say Nano

now this is in your home directory so a

tilde means your home directory and then

a slash now this file is called bash

underscore profile so now let's go ahead

and open that up now within this file

you might realize that I have some more

content here than you do and these are

just some personal customizations that I

have but

don't worry about any of this if I go to

the bottom here and let me like make

this just a little bit larger here now

you should see that whenever you install

the Python 3 that it actually added a

few lines here at the bottom and you

should have these lines also now setting

this path variable like it's doing here

is what allows the Python 3 command to

work so we'll move down here below to

the bottom and add an alias not to do

this all we have to do is say alias

Python equals Python 3 and you want to

make sure it looks exactly like this no

space between the equals or anything

like that so now to save this we can

just hit ctrl X to close hit Y that to

say that we want to save it and then hit

enter to keep that same filename so now

if we quit out of our terminal and open

this back up and now let's check that

python version again so I'm going to do

Python - - version and now we can see

that it's using Python 3 6 now I

probably should have mentioned this

earlier but you do not have to create

that Python alias if you wanted to you

could just use that Python 3 command to

run all of your scripts but I like to

use this Python command so that's why I

personally like to create the alias okay

so now let's walk through how we install

Python 3 for Windows now if you're on a

Mac and want to skip through this part

and you can click on the timestamp in

the description below that skips forward

when both of these installations are

complete but this install for Windows

actually doesn't take very long at all

ok so to check if python is already

installed we can open up our command

prompt by going down here to start and

then search for CMD and let's open up

that and I'm going to make this font a

little bit bigger so that we can see

here I think I can click on properties

and font and we'll go with something a

little bit larger there okay now to see

if we have access to Python we can just

type in Python - - version and most

likely you'll see that this is not yet

installed and get this Python is not

recognized err so to install this we can

just open up an internet browser and go

to the Python web site which is Python

dot

and from here we can click on downloads

and from this page you can see that it's

already detected that we are on Windows

and has offered up either Python 3 or

python 2 now if you're learning Python

then you're definitely going to want to

go with Python 3 unless you have a

really good reason to do otherwise so

let's go ahead and go with this download

of python 3.6 so let's go ahead and run

this download and we should get this

pop-up so i'm going to go ahead and run

that now this is an important step here

one thing that you're going to want to

do is click this option to add python 3

6 to your path this will allow us to get

by without going into the advanced

system settings and setting this path

manually and adding that to your path

will allow the Python command to work

within the command prompt so with that

selected now let's go ahead and just

click through this installation and it

says that setup was successful so now

that python is installed let's come down

here to our command prompt and open it

back up actually let's close this one

down and start from scratch so we'll

open this back up type in CMD and open

up that command prompt again and now we

can make sure that that installed by

typing in Python and then - - version

you can see here that it says that we're

working with Python 3 6 so that's good

now if we come down here and click on

start and all programs and we'll see

that we have this Python 3 6 folder here

that was installed with python within

this folder we can see that we have a

program called idle and I'm going to

come back to this idle program in just a

second so when I mention this program

then just remember that you can find it

here within this Python 3 6 folder so

that is how we install Python for

Windows now I'm going to switch back to

my native operating system on the Mac

but from this point on python is going

to work the same for both operating

systems so everyone is going to be able

to follow along ok so now I'm just going

to go ahead and minimize that ok so now

that we have Python installed now we can

begin and go ahead and write our first

bit of code by opening up either our

terminal or our command prompt and I'll

just close this installation window down

in the back here and Center this ok so

now within the terminal or command

prompt if

just type in Python and this will open

what's called an interactive prompt and

we can see that it shows that we're

using Python 3 6

now the interactive prompt allows us to

write one line of Python at a time so

for example for a hello world

application then we could simply write

print hello world and we can see that it

prints that out and we can also set

variables so I could say X is equal to

equal to 10 and if I print out X then we

can see that we get 10 now this

interactive prompt is OK for testing

Python commands but we really want to

have a Python file where we can write

multiple lines and run an entire script

so let's exit this interactive prompt

and we can do that by typing exit and

then opening closed parenthesis so to

create a Python file we're going to need

some kind of plain text editor when we

downloaded Python it came with an editor

called idle so let's open up that idle

program so again on windows that's in

the Python 3 6 folder that we opened up

earlier and on the Mac it's just down

here and our applications and we can go

ahead and open this up so I'm going to

go ahead and make the font a little bit

bigger here by going to my preferences

just so that everyone can see and I'll

bump this up to 18 or so okay I think

that's good now by default when we open

up idle this is just another interactive

prompt where we can write one line at a

time and you can usually tell when

you're at an interactive prompt because

of these three arrows here so to create

an actual file we can click on file and

new file now this will create a new file

where we can write multiple lines of

Python and actually make a script so for

our first script let's just print out

hello world like we did before we can do

that by calling the print function and

then these opening and closing

parenthesis and then either single or

double quotes and then typing in hello

world now we're going to want to save

this file so we can save this by

clicking on file and then save and I'm

going to call this intro dot pi and I'm

just going to save this to my desktop so

now I'll go ahead and save that so now

to run the python file that we just

created we can go back to our terminal

or our command prompt and from here we

can type in Python and then we want to

type in the name of the file that we

want to run now this is relative to the

directory that we're currently in so if

we're in our home folder and when you

saved it to your desktop then that

should be in desktop and then the name

of that file is intro dot pi so if we

run that and you can see that it printed

out hello world so we just ran our first

Python program now I still have this

Python file up over here and real quick

let me show you how to do a single

inline comment and Python because I'll

be using these inline comments

throughout these tutorials and don't

want them to throw you off so in my

script here if I wanted to write a

description of what's going on then I

could add a comment and to do this we

can just start up here at the top line

and I'm going to go ahead and write a

comment of what we're doing so what it

starts with the pound sign and then our

comment so I'll just say print a welcome

message now if I go ahead and save that

file and then run this again from my

desktop then you can see that it didn't

do anything to our script that still

just prints out hello world so when we

actually run our Python programs these

comments are ignored it's only there for

the developer and the programmer to

actually see what's going on now you

don't need anything fancy to run these

Python scripts so if you wanted to then

you could follow through all of my

videos using this idle application like

we have running here and then running

the script from the command line but if

you plan on doing a lot of Python

programming then you'll likely want to

upgrade to a better editor now you can

use any kind of plain text text editor

that you want you can even use some

command line editors like vim or Emacs

if you'd like some of the most popular

editors and I have some of these pulled

up and the browser here so one very

popular editor is sublime text and

that's at sublime text calm another

popular text editor is atom and that's

at atom IO and a very popular IDE is the

JetBrains

pycharm ide so sublime text and atom are

text editors but with a lot of extra

functionality built in and PyCharm is a

full

loan ide and that will give you a lot of

extra features that you might not find

and other editors like the ability to

debug a running application and things

like that now in this series of videos

i'm going to be using sublime text now i

have a full video on how i set up and

customize my sublime text and i also

have a full video on how to set up and

customize atom so if you want to use

either of those editors and i highly

recommend watching those videos and i'll

leave links to those in the description

section below now one nice thing about

using one of these editors is that you

can run Python from directly within the

editor so I have the same intro PI file

that we just created pulled up here in

sublime text and I can run this by going

to tools and build or we could have just

used that keyboard shortcut but you can

see that if we run that and we get the

same hello world output that we got when

we ran at this file from our command

line so to follow along with these

videos you can use the idle application

and use the command line to run those

scripts or you can set up one of these

other text editors the choice is

completely up to you okay so I think

that is going to do it for this video in

this video we walk through how to

install Python on both Mac and Windows

we looked at how to run Python

interactively within the terminal or

command line and we also have saw how to

create a Python file and execute that

script so in the next video we'll start

learning about variables and datatypes

and specifically we're going to look at

the string datatype and everything that

we can do with those but if anyone has

any questions about what we covered in

this video then feel free to ask in the

comment section below and I'll do my

best to answer those now if you enjoy

these tutorials and would like to

support them there are several ways you

can do that the easiest ways to simply

like the video and give it a thumbs up

and also it's a huge help to share these

videos with anyone who you think would

find them useful and if you have the

means you can contribute through patreon

and there's a link to that page in the

description section below be sure to

subscribe for future videos and thank

you all for watching

worried

you