CHAPTER 1
Getting Ready to Work with Python
In this chapter, you learn what Python is and get ready to work with it. You choose the version of Python that suits your needs and then install that version if your computer does not already have it. You also install and configure your main tool for working with Python, a powerful code editor/integrated development environment called Visual Studio Code.
Understanding What Python Is and Does
Choose the Right Version of Python
Install Python on Linux If Necessary
Learn About Development Tools for Python
Download and Install Visual Studio Code
Get Started with Visual Studio Code and Apply a Theme
Understanding What Python Is and Does
Python is a programming language that is used both widely and for many different purposes. Python enables you to write applications that work on many different computing platforms, including Microsoft Windows, Apple’s macOS, and Linux. Python is especially useful for automating routine tasks, thus enabling yourself and your colleagues to get more work done in less time.
A Dutch programmer named Guido van Rossum began work on Python in the late 1980s, eventually releasing the first version as Python 0.9.0 in 1991. Since 2001, Python has been run by a U.S.-based ...
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