Chicago Python Workshop/Setup/Windows Python scripts: Difference between revisions
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{{Chicago Python Workshop/Setup/Windows Python scripts}} |
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===Start your text editor=== |
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# Launch the Notepad++ text editor. See the [[Chicago Python Workshop/Setup/Windows_text_editor|Windows text editor setup]] instructions for the steps to do this. |
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# Start a new, blank text file. |
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===Write and save a short Python script=== |
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# Add the following line to your new text file: |
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<pre> |
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print "Hello World!" |
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</pre> |
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# Saving the script |
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## Click either the Save button or going to <code>File > Save</code> |
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## Then, navigate to your Desktop folder, which will be under <code>C:\Documents and Settings\<username></code> or <code>C:\Users\<username></code>. |
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## Once you've double clicked on the Desktop folder, then click the new folder icon. Then name it <code>python</code>. This is where we will keep all our python code and projects, so that it's easy to find. |
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## Then click through the python folder you just created, and save the file as <code>hello.py</code> in this python directory. The <code>.py</code> extension indicates that this file contains Python code. |
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===Run the script=== |
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# Start a new command prompt. See the [[Chicago Python Workshop/Setup/Windows terminal navigation|terminal navigation on Windows]] instructions for the steps to do this. Recall that a terminal prompt will look like <code>C:\</code> and a Python prompt will look like <code>>>></code>. Make sure you are at a terminal prompt and not a Python prompt; if you are at a Python prompt, you can type <code>exit()</code> on a line by itself and then hit enter to exit Python and return to a terminal prompt. |
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# Navigate to your python directory, which is in your desktop directory, from a command prompt, using the <code>dir</code> and <code>cd</code> commands. See the [[Chicago Python Workshop/Setup/Windows terminal navigation|terminal navigation on Windows]] instructions for a refresher on using these commands. Don't hesitate to get help from a staff member on this step if you need it -- it's a new way of navigating your computer, so it may be unintuitive at first! |
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# Once you are in your python directory, you'll see <code>hello.py</code> in the output of <code>dir</code>. |
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# Type |
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<pre> |
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python hello.py |
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</pre> |
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and hit enter. Doing this will cause Python to execute the contents of that script -- it should print "Hello World!" to the screen. What you've done here is run the Python application with an argument -- the name of a file, in this case "hello.py". Python knows that when you give it a file name as an argument, it should execute the contents of the provided file. You get the same result as if you typed |
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<pre> |
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print "Hello World!" |
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</pre> |
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at a Python prompt and hit enter. |
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===Success=== |
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You created and ran your first Python script! |
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* When you run the <code>python</code> command by itself, you start a Python prompt. You can execute Python code interactively at that prompt. |
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* When you run the <code>python</code> command with a file name as an argument, Python executes the Python code in that file. |
Latest revision as of 17:14, 9 December 2012
We are going to practice writing and running Python scripts.
Start your text editor
- Launch the Notepad++ text editor. See the Windows text editor setup instructions for the steps to do this.
- Start a new, blank text file.
Write and save a short Python script
- Add the following line to your new text file:
print "Hello World!"
- Saving the script
- Click either the Save button or going to
File > Save
- Then, navigate to your Desktop folder, which will be under
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>
orC:\Users\<username>
. - Once you've double clicked on the Desktop folder, then click the new folder icon. Then name it
python
. This is where we will keep all our python code and projects, so that it's easy to find. - Then click through the python folder you just created, and save the file as
hello.py
in this python directory. The.py
extension indicates that this file contains Python code.
- Click either the Save button or going to
Run the script
- Start a new command prompt. See the terminal navigation on Windows instructions for the steps to do this. Recall that a terminal prompt will look like
C:\
and a Python prompt will look like>>>
. Make sure you are at a terminal prompt and not a Python prompt; if you are at a Python prompt, you can typeexit()
on a line by itself and then hit enter to exit Python and return to a terminal prompt. - Navigate to your python directory, which is in your desktop directory, from a command prompt, using the
dir
andcd
commands. See the terminal navigation on Windows instructions for a refresher on using these commands. Don't hesitate to get help from a staff member on this step if you need it -- it's a new way of navigating your computer, so it may be unintuitive at first! - Once you are in your python directory, you'll see
hello.py
in the output ofdir
. - Type
python hello.py
and hit enter. Doing this will cause Python to execute the contents of that script -- it should print "Hello World!" to the screen. What you've done here is run the Python application with an argument -- the name of a file, in this case "hello.py". Python knows that when you give it a file name as an argument, it should execute the contents of the provided file. You get the same result as if you typed
print "Hello World!"
at a Python prompt and hit enter.
Success
You created and ran your first Python script!
- When you run the
python
command by itself, you start a Python prompt. You can execute Python code interactively at that prompt. - When you run the
python
command with a file name as an argument, Python executes the Python code in that file.