Python is a powerful programming language that is widely used in web development, data science, machine learning, and many other fields.
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular code editor that provides an intuitive interface and powerful features for writing and debugging Python code. In this article, we will walk you through the steps to install Python and VS Code on a Windows machine.
Before you begin, make sure you have administrative privileges on your computer, and a stable internet connection.
Step 1: Download Python
The first step is to download and install Python on your machine. To do this, open your web browser and go to the official Python website at https://www.python.org/downloads/. You will see a page with various versions of Python available for download.
Choose the latest stable version of Python for Windows by clicking on the “Download” button. This will download the Python installer file (.exe) to your computer.
Step 2: Install Python
Once the download is complete, navigate to the folder where the installer file is located and double-click on it to run the installer. You will see a dialog box asking if you want to allow the app to make changes to your device. Click “Yes” to continue.
On the first screen of the installer, you will see various options for customizing the installation. In most cases, you can leave these options at their default values and click “Next” to continue.
On the next screen, you will be prompted to select the installation directory for Python. Again, you can leave this at the default location and click “Install” to begin the installation process.
The installation process may take a few minutes to complete, depending on your computer’s speed. Once it is finished, you should see a message indicating that Python has been successfully installed on your computer.
Step 3: Verify the installation
To verify that Python has been installed correctly, open a command prompt by pressing the Windows key + R on your keyboard, typing “cmd” and pressing Enter.
In the command prompt, type “python –version” and press Enter. This will display the version number of Python that is installed on your computer. If you see the version number, then Python is installed correctly on your machine.
Step 4: Download and install Visual Studio Code
The next step is to download and install Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on your computer. To do this, go to the official VS Code website at https://code.visualstudio.com/download and download the Windows version of the installer.
Once the download is complete, navigate to the folder where the installer file is located and double-click on it to run the installer. You will see a dialog box asking if you want to allow the app to make changes to your device. Click “Yes” to continue.
On the first screen of the installer, you will see various options for customizing the installation. In most cases, you can leave these options at their default values and click “Next” to continue.
On the next screen, you will be prompted to select the installation directory for VS Code. Again, you can leave this at the default location and click “Next” to continue.
The installation process may take a few minutes to complete, depending on your computer’s speed. Once it is finished, you should see a message indicating that VS Code has been successfully installed on your computer.
Step 5: Install the Python extension for VS Code
To use VS Code for Python development, you need to install the Python extension for VS Code. This extension provides features such as syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging, and more.
To install the Python extension, open VS Code and click on the Extensions icon on the left side of the screen. This will open the Extensions panel.
In the search bar at the top of the panel, type “Python” and press Enter. You should see the Python extension listed in the results. Click on the “Install” button next to the Python extension to install it.
Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart VS Code. Click on the “Restart Now” button to restart the editor.
Step 6: Create a Python project in VS Code
Now that you have installed Python and VS Code on your machine, you can create a new Python project in VS Code. To do this, open VS Code and click on the “File” menu at the top of the screen, then select “New File”.
In the new file, type the following Python code:
print("Hello, World!")
Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart VS Code. Click on the “Restart Now” button to restart the editor.
Step 6: Create a Python project in VS Code
Now that you have installed Python and VS Code on your machine, you can create a new Python project in VS Code. To do this, open VS Code and click on the “File” menu at the top of the screen, then select “New File”.
In the new file, type the following Python code:
print("Hello, World!"
Save the file with a .py extension, such as hello.py, by clicking on the “File” menu and selecting “Save As”. Choose a location to save the file, and enter the file name with a .py extension.
To run the Python code, click on the “Run” menu at the top of the screen, then select “Run Without Debugging”. This will run the Python code and display the output “Hello, World!” in the integrated terminal at the bottom of the screen.
Step 7: Configure the Python environment in VS Code
In some cases, you may need to configure the Python environment in VS Code to use a specific version of Python or to install additional packages. To do this, open VS Code and click on the “View” menu at the top of the screen, then select “Command Palette”.
In the Command Palette, type “Python: Select Interpreter” and press Enter. This will display a list of available Python interpreters on your machine. Select the interpreter that you want to use for your project and click Enter.
If you need to install additional packages for your Python project, you can do so using the Terminal window in VS Code. To open the Terminal window, click on the “Terminal” menu at the top of the screen, then select “New Terminal”.
In the Terminal window, type “pip install package-name” to install the package that you need. For example, to install the NumPy package, you would type “pip install numpy” and press Enter.
Conclusion
In this article, we have walked you through the steps to install Python and VS Code on a Windows machine, and create a new Python project in VS Code. By following these steps, you can start exploring the powerful features of Python and VS Code for your own projects.
Remember to always keep your software up-to-date with the latest security patches, and to use reputable sources when downloading software from the internet. With the right tools and knowledge, you can unleash the full potential of Python and create amazing applications that solve real-world problems.
