Chicago Python Workshop/Setup/OSX Setup

Welcome to the Friday evening section of the Chicago Python Workshop!

When you arrive, please start your laptop and get on the wireless network. Network information will be on the whiteboard. Once you join the network, work through the goals on this page in order; they should take between 2 and 3 hours. Lots of staff will be around to help troubleshoot and to answer questions -- don't hesitate to ask!

At the end, a staff member will go through a checklist with you to make sure you're all set for tomorrow. Please be sure to do this checkoff before you leave -- it'll make sure that you are in good shape for tomorrow.

Goal #1: set up Python
This section has instructions for installing Python and running Python from a command prompt.

Goal #2: prepare a text editor
In addition to being able to run Python, we are going to install a good text editor for writing and saving Python code during the workshop.

If you would like to use a different text editor from the recommendation for your operating system, please let a staff member know.

Goal #3: practice starting and exiting Python
We'll do a lot of learning and practicing at a Python prompt (this is "interactive" because you are typing the code and hitting enter to run it yourself, instead of running it from a file). So let's practice starting and exiting Python:

Goal #4: practice navigating the computer from a command prompt
We will be running files containing Python code (Python "scripts") from the command prompt. You'll need to be able to navigate to those scripts using the command prompt so you can run them. In this section, we'll practice using these navigation commands.

Goal #5: practice running Python code from a file
Interactive Python programming at a Python prompt is great for short pieces of code and for testing ideas. For longer code, it can be easier to save the code in a file, and execute the contents of that file (aka a Python script). In this section, we'll practice running Python scripts.