Welcome to for-devs.com! You’re probably a Dev and you just asked yourself how to download and install Python? In this occasion, I will guide you through that process through this reference article, so that you can support yourself in the process of downloading and installing Python. Don’t miss it!

Python is a high-level, interpreted, multiparadigm and open-source programming language. It was created by Guido van Rossum in 1991. In particular, this language is used in data science and task or process automation, data analysis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, games, scientific computing, and web development. In addition, it is known for its readable syntax and focus on programmer productivity.

How to Download and Install Python

Now, in a simple and summarized way, to start using Python you first need to have it available on your computer. For this, you need the following:

  • Visit the official Python website: Python.org and download the installation package that suits you best.
  • Start the installation and configuration of Python.
  • Check if the installation was successful.
  • Start developing software with Python.

The previous list only summarizes the installation process, next, I share a guide a little more detailed of each of those processes.

First Step: Get the latest version of Python

Download Latest Python

The easiest way to download Python is through the official website: Python.org.

In the downloads section, click on the button that says “Download Python 3.10.7”. This is the latest version of Python at the time of writing this article, and it’s the best option if you don’t know which specific version to download.

Second Step: Install Python

Once you have downloaded the file, you will need to run it. If you are using Windows, a dialog box will appear that will ask if you want to allow this program to make changes to your computer. Click on “Yes” to continue. If the box does not appear, continue.

Next, another dialog box will appear that will ask you to configure and confirm the installation. Click on “Install”. Make sure to check the box that adds Python to the system PATH. This facilitates access to Python through the Windows console and other programs to have access to it in that specified path.

Third Step: Check the installation

To check if Python has been installed correctly, open the system symbol or command line (CMD) and type the following:

python --version

If Python has been installed correctly, you will see a message that indicates the version of the language. For example, Python 3.10.7

Python IDLE

Python IDLE is an integrated development environment (IDE) that is included with Python. IDLE stands for “Integrated Development and Learning Environment” and is a simple IDE that is easy to use for beginners. It includes a Python shell, an editor, and a file browser. To open IDLE, click on the start menu and search for “IDLE (Python 3.10.7)”.

A program console similar to the one in the following image will appear on your computer screen.

Fourth Step: Run a Python program

Now, the first program that every developer ever uses to explore a programming language is a “Hello World.” This fulfills basic functions of a program, for example: saving a text string in a variable in the computer’s memory and then consulting the information of that variable that contains the memory and printing or displaying it on the computer screen.

Hello World!

Next, we will create a Hello World program and run it to check that Python works correctly. In your Python IDLE, type the code below, do it one line at a time, and after each line, you must press the “Enter” key. The code is as follows:

greeting = "Hello World!"
print(greeting)

After pressing the “Enter” key, the interpreter of our program will run. The text string “Hello World!” is temporarily saved in memory thanks to the “greeting” variable, and is then consulted and displayed on the screen by the print() command.

output

Conclusion

Python is an easy-to-obtain and install programming language on our computer. Here you learned how to do it, and not only that, you also made a “Hello World,” which is one of the most basic programs that can be created with programming languages. In conclusion, Python is a multiparadigm programming language that is used in various fields such as data science, big data analysis, web development, and artificial intelligence. And as you have seen, downloading and installing Python on your computer is very simple if you follow the steps described above. You can learn more about this powerful programming language on for-devs.com

Don’t miss it!

Python