How to set up Python on Visual Studio Code

Summary

This video tutorial guides viewers on setting up Python with Visual Studio Code, an alternative to PyCharm and Anaconda. It starts with checking the Python version and installing it from python.org if not available. The presenter then demonstrates installing Visual Studio Code from code.visualstudio.com and creating Python files. The video shows how to run Python scripts using the terminal and Visual Studio Code's built-in terminal. It also covers installing the Python extension and Code Runner for easier execution, and configuring settings for terminal output. Finally, it discusses organizing Python files in a folder and opening them in Visual Studio Code.

Takeaways

• 💻 The video provides a tutorial on setting up Python with Visual Studio Code, an alternative to PyCharm or Anaconda.
• 🔍 To check the installed Python version, use 'python --version' or 'pi --version' in the terminal or command prompt.
• 🚫 If Python is not recognized, it indicates that Python is not installed on the machine.
• 🌐 The tutorial guides to download Python from python.org and install it on the system.
• 🖥️ Visual Studio Code is recommended for its ease of use and convenience when working with multiple programming languages.
• 🔗 The video instructs viewers to download Visual Studio Code from code.visualstudio.com.
• 📁 It's important to include the '.py' or '.pi' extension when saving Python files to ensure proper recognition.
• 📝 The video demonstrates how to write simple Python scripts and run them using the command line.
• 🛠️ To enhance the coding experience, the tutorial suggests installing the Python extension and Code Runner extension in Visual Studio Code.
• ⚙️ The settings are adjusted to ensure that running Python scripts through Visual Studio Code outputs to the terminal.
• 📂 The video concludes with organizing Python files into a folder and using the terminal to open the folder in Visual Studio Code.

Q & A

What is the preferred text editor for Python programming according to the video?

The video suggests that Visual Studio Code is the preferred text editor for Python programming over PyCharm or Anaconda.

How can you check the installed Python version on your system?

You can check the installed Python version by typing 'python --version' or 'pi --version' in the terminal or command prompt.

What does the message 'python is not recognized as an internal or external command' indicate?

This message indicates that Python is not installed on your machine or it is not added to the system's PATH variable.

What is the recommended website to download Python from the video?

The video recommends downloading Python from python.org by going to the 'downloads' section.

How can you install Visual Studio Code according to the video?

You can install Visual Studio Code by visiting code.visualstudio.com and downloading the appropriate version for your operating system.

What is the significance of the '.py' or '.pi' extension when creating a Python file in Visual Studio Code?

The '.py' or '.pi' extension is significant as it identifies the file as a Python script, which is necessary for the file to be recognized and executed as Python code.

How can you run a Python script from the terminal in the video?

You can run a Python script from the terminal by navigating to the script's directory and typing 'python script_name.py' or 'pi script_name.pi'.

What is the advantage of using the 'Run Code' button in Visual Studio Code as shown in the video?

The 'Run Code' button in Visual Studio Code allows you to execute the Python script without manually typing the command in the terminal, simplifying the process.

Why is it necessary to install the 'Python' extension and 'Code Runner' extension in Visual Studio Code?

The 'Python' extension provides support for Python in Visual Studio Code, while the 'Code Runner' extension allows you to run code directly from the editor.

How can you configure Visual Studio Code to run Python scripts in the terminal instead of the built-in console?

You can configure Visual Studio Code to run Python scripts in the terminal by going to settings, editing the 'actions on save' section in 'settings.json', and setting 'code runner.run in terminal' to true.

What is the suggested method to organize Python files in the video?

The video suggests creating a folder for Python files, such as 'python files', and then dragging the files into Visual Studio Code for organization.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Setting Up Python with Visual Studio Code

This paragraph introduces the process of setting up Python with Visual Studio Code, an alternative to PyCharm and Anaconda. The speaker prefers Visual Studio Code for its ease of use and versatility with multiple programming languages. The tutorial begins with checking the current Python version using the command line, and if Python is not installed, the speaker guides the audience to download and install it from python.org. After installing Python, the speaker instructs how to download and install Visual Studio Code from code.visualstudio.com, emphasizing to download the correct version for their operating system. The paragraph concludes with creating a Python file, saving it with the appropriate '.py' or '.pi' extension, and demonstrating how to run a simple Python script from the terminal.

05:02

🛠️ Enhancing Visual Studio Code for Python Development

The second paragraph focuses on enhancing the Visual Studio Code experience for Python development. It starts with the installation of necessary extensions: the Python extension by Microsoft and Code Runner, which provides a 'Run Code' button for executing Python scripts. The speaker then shows how to change the output destination from the built-in console to the terminal for better interactivity. Additionally, the paragraph covers organizing Python files into a dedicated folder and using the terminal to open the folder directly in Visual Studio Code. The tutorial ends with a call to action for viewers to like and subscribe for more Python tutorial videos, thanking them for watching.

Keywords

💡Python

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its readability and versatility. It is widely used for web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and more. In the video, Python is the primary programming language being set up and used with Visual Studio Code, indicating the video's focus on Python development.

💡Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular, free, and open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. It supports a wide range of programming languages and offers features like debugging, syntax highlighting, and extensions. The video emphasizes setting up Python with VS Code, suggesting it as a preferred editor for Python development over other tools like PyCharm or Anaconda.

💡Anaconda

Anaconda is a distribution of the Python and R programming languages for scientific computing, which aims to simplify package management and deployment. It comes with pre-installed data science libraries. The video mentions Anaconda as an alternative to Visual Studio Code for Python development, highlighting the variety of tools available for Python programmers.

💡Terminal

A terminal is a command-line interface where users can execute commands directly to interact with the operating system. In the script, the terminal is used to check the installed Python version and to run Python scripts, demonstrating its utility in software development for executing and testing code.

💡Extensions

In the context of VS Code, extensions are add-ons that enhance the editor's functionality, such as adding support for new programming languages or integrating new tools. The video instructs viewers to install the Python extension by Microsoft and Code Runner, which are essential for a smooth Python development experience within VS Code.

💡Code Runner

Code Runner is an extension for VS Code that allows users to run code within the editor. It supports multiple languages and is mentioned in the video as a tool to execute Python scripts directly from VS Code, which streamlines the development process by eliminating the need to open a terminal.

💡Settings.json

Settings.json is a configuration file in VS Code where users can customize the editor's behavior. In the video, modifying the settings.json file is shown as a way to change the output destination of the Code Runner extension to the terminal, which is a practical step for developers who prefer terminal-based outputs.

💡Python.org

Python.org is the official website for the Python programming language, where users can download the latest version of Python, access documentation, and learn about the community. The video instructs viewers to visit python.org to download Python, emphasizing it as the primary source for obtaining the Python interpreter.

💡Command Prompt

Command Prompt is a command-line interface on Windows operating systems that allows users to execute commands. The video uses the term interchangeably with 'terminal' and demonstrates its use to check the Python version and run Python scripts, highlighting the importance of command-line interfaces in software development.

💡File Extension

A file extension is the suffix in a filename that indicates the file type. In the video, the presenter saves Python files with the '.py' extension, which is the standard for Python scripts. This detail is crucial as it ensures that the files are recognized and executed correctly by Python interpreters.

Highlights

Introduction to setting up Python with Visual Studio Code as an alternative to PyCharm or Anaconda.

Checking the installed Python version using the command line.

Using 'pi' as an alternative command to 'python' for brevity.

Instructions on installing Python if it's not recognized on the system.

Downloading Python from python.org and selecting the appropriate version for the operating system.

Installing Visual Studio Code from code.visualstudio.com.

Creating a Python file in Visual Studio Code and saving it with a '.py' extension.

Writing simple print statements in a Python script.

Running a Python script from the terminal using 'python' or 'pi' command.

Using the built-in terminal in Visual Studio Code to run Python scripts.

Installing the Python extension and Code Runner extension in Visual Studio Code.

Enabling the 'Run in Terminal' option for Code Runner to execute scripts in the terminal.

Creating a folder to organize Python files and opening it in Visual Studio Code.

Using the terminal to navigate to a folder and open it in Visual Studio Code with a single command.

Encouragement to like and subscribe for more Python tutorial videos.

Transcripts

hey there hope you're having a wonderful

day in this video i'm going to show you

how to set up

python with visual studio code so most

people like to use

pycharm when they're writing python code

or anaconda with spider

i prefer visual studio code i think it's

much easier to use and it's more

convenient if you're working with other

languages as well

so first we want to install python so

what i'm going to do first

is go to terminal or command prompt and

check which version i have

so to do that i'll just type python dash

dash version

and you can see i am on 3.8.3 with

python commands you can also just type

pi instead of python it saves you four

characters

so pi dash dash version and

we get the same thing if you do not have

python on your machine

for instance if i type python

like this you might get something like

this where it says python is not

recognized as an internal or external

command

so this just means that you don't have

python on your machine so let's install

that

so go to python.org go to downloads and

click this right here

for me it says download for windows

because i'm using windows but for you

if you're using a mac or linux then it

will say download for mac or linux

so click that okay so now we have it

downloaded so click it to install it and

then just click install now

so after you have installed go to

code.visualstudio.com

make sure it's the blue one it says

visual studio code

not the purple one the blue one so for

you it might say down for mac or linux

for me it says download for windows so

just click this button whatever it says

and then now we can open it and you'll

get this pop-up

just accept agreement next

you want to click create a desktop icon

and then click next

and then click install i already have it

installed so i'm not going to click it

but just click install

and then afterwards you should see

visual studio code on your desktop

you can double click it or you can drag

it to your taskbar

if you are going to code frequently

so just click that and you'll see we

have

uh this uh setup we're going to create

file

and click ctrl s to save it so i'm going

to

save it to my desktop let's name it test

dot

python so make sure you include the

extension for python it's

py or pi so let's save that

and then here you can see your python

file we can create another one

so let's do test2 dot pi

and here's our second file so make sure

you include the extension

and in file 1 or test.pi i'm going to

put print

this is file 1 and print

let's say 50. so this is just outputting

to the console or terminal

and then for the other one i'm going to

say print file 2

and let's print 100

okay so you can see both of them are

created on our desktop

we go on terminal and

we type in python or pi and we go to the

directory of our file so desktop

slash test.pi

and you see this is file150 and i can do

test 2 and this is file 2 100

or you can just change directory to

desktop

and type pi test.pi

or pythontest.pi either one works and we

can do test2 as well

so this is how you would run your uh

python files

but with visual studio code we have an

editor so let's not do that we have our

built-in terminal

over here and we can just copy and paste

the command we did

so cd desktop

and just do pi test.pi and you'll see

this is file 150

okay but you might have noticed that i

have this run button over here so i can

just click this

and it will execute that command for me

so i don't have to type all that i just

need to click this button

you probably don't have this button so

let's go install that

so go to this block here extensions

first thing you want to do is install

python so

search for python and look for the one

by microsoft and click install

and then afterwards look for code runner

it's the one with this logo just click

install and then after you install this

you should have this run button over

here

and then now you can just click run code

when you run your code it might not

output to the terminal

it might output to the visual studio

built-in console the output console and

the problem with this is this is a

read-only console that means if you were

to

ask the user for an input you can't type

anything in

you can't type in any commands we want

it we want to set it to the terminal

so to change it to the terminal go to

this gear icon click this icon

and click settings and then scroll

down until you see

right here called actions on save click

edit in

settings.json

and then what you want to do is you want

to add this line

i will copy and paste this into the

description

so code runner dot run in terminal

set it to true and then afterwards when

you hit the run button

it should go to the terminal okay

and another thing you can do is

we can put these files in our folder

so let's create a folder here new

folder let's call it python files

so i'm going to drag these two in here

and then now i have two

files in my python files folder i can

just drag this

onto the visual studio code icon and you

can see

over here i have these two files okay

and if you don't want to do that if you

have it somewhere else that is not on

your desktop and you don't want to

go through your directories to find it

you can just use the terminal

and just go cd so i'm already in the

desktop but if you're not in the desktop

just go

cd desktop and then cd

stands for change directory so cd to

your folder so in my case it's python

files

and just type in code dot

and then this will open up visual studio

code okay

so that's how you set up python with

visual studio code

if you enjoyed this video and it worked

for you make sure to

leave a like and subscribe for more

updates on

python tutorial videos and all that fun

stuff

all right thank you for watching and

i'll see you later bye