Setting up Python – Python Environment Primer

This document explains how to set up Python on a Windows System. It also shows the basics on starting the Python Enivronment.

The First thing you'll want to do is head on over to Python.org to download Python. You'll want to make sure you get version 3.2.3, as shown in the screenshot below.

Download Python

When the installer finishes downloading, run it. The first thing it will ask you to do is to select the installation folder for Python (the default is C:\Python32, but you can put it wherever you want.)

The following screen will ask you which libraries you want to install. We'll want all of them, so click on Python and select 'Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive' as shown in the following screenshot:

Select to install everything

Once the install finishes, you'll have an entry for Python in the Start Menu:

Python Start Menu Entry

You'll want to run IDLE, which is Python's IDE. Starting IDLE will give you a Python shell like the one below. You can type code interactively here.

Python's Interactive Shell in IDLE

Going to File–>New Window (as shown below) to start a new source file.

Creating a new file in IDLE

Make sure when you go to save your code, you add the .py extension to the file name, as IDLE unfortunately won't do this automatically for you:

Saving some source code – don't forget the extension

You can run your code (after it's been saved) by going to Run–>Run Module. Any output will show up in the interactive shell.

Running a module in IDLE

. . . And that's it for now. This should be enough to get you going with Python development on your Windows PC.