introduction

Week 1 — Getting set up

Everything you need before writing a single line of code.

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Chapter 1

What is Python?

Python is a high-level programming language created by Guido van Rossum in 1991. It is known for clear, English-like syntax and readability, which means you can usually write in a few lines what older languages need many more to express.

What is the difference between Python versions?

Python versions come in two kinds:

Type	What it does
Major	Introduces fundamental changes to how the language works
Minor	Adds new features and improves speed, without breaking what came before

Important

You want Python 3. Python 2 reached end of life in 2020, and nothing new is written in it. If a tutorial uses print "hello" without brackets, it is Python 2 — close it.

Why use Python?

Python is a common first language for people getting into programming, data science, web development, or task automation. It gets you to a working program quickly, without the overhead that languages like C or C# put in front of you before anything runs.

The syntax reads close to English, so your attention goes to the problem rather than to the rules of the language.

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Setting up

1. Install Python

Windows

winget install Python.Python.3.13

macOS

brew install python

Requires Homebrew installed first.

Linux — Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

Linux — Fedora

sudo dnf install python3 python3-pip

2. Check it worked

python3 --version

On Windows, use python --version instead. You should see a version number printed back.

Warning

If you used the graphical installer on Windows, make sure you ticked Add Python to PATH. Missing it is the single most common reason the command is not recognised afterwards.Also note that the Windows command above installs one specific version. By the time you read this a newer release may exist, so check python.org/downloads and install the current version instead.

3. Install an editor

Python is on your machine now, but you still need somewhere to write code. That is what an IDE is for — an Integrated Development Environment, software for writing, editing and running code.

Install VS Code, then open the Extensions panel and install the Python extension by Microsoft.

Tip

That is everything you need. Do not go hunting for more extensions yet — they will only get in your way.

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Your first program

Create a file called hello.py with one line in it:

print("Hello, world!")

Run it from the terminal:

python hello.py

Hello, world!

If you see that, your setup works and you are ready to start.

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Next: Week 1

Tip

Try not to open the lab solutions until you have finished, and then only to compare your approach with mine. Everything a lab needs is in the lessons themselves — if you are stuck, go back to the lesson covering that part and read it again.