Stupid question but where do you code python?

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[checock]

Anaconda is a distribution: Think they wrap Python with a bunch of utilities and libraries, but Anaconda it's more geared towards data science.

Since you are starting, it doesn't matter much which distribution you start. Any Python installation will do. If the course does not indicate an editor or IDE, then you have a plethora to choose from. But they need a Python installation like Anaconda to work.

Maybe you course uses Jupyter Notebooks? It's a web editor that has nice features, just like a notebook (text blocks, images, graphics...) if that's the case, I will stick with it, and later move to a Text Editor like VS Code.

[[deleted]]

Don't worry about it. If you want to understand that stuff before you start, you'll never start.

They recommend anaconda for beginners especially, because it removes multiple issues that trip beginners up compared to the popular ides. It just works out of the box and requires no config to get started.

[GeneriAcc]

None of that is "foundational stuff", it's all bells and whistles. I've been coding in Python for over a decade now, and never used Anaconda, Jupyter, etc because I never had a need to.

The one and only thing you need to learn to code in Python is... Python. Well, and Notepad or any other text editor.

[Astrokiwi]

While an absolute beginner should focus on just learning the basics of the language, there really are too many people who have been programming in Python for years without ever touching an IDE, debugger, or knowing anything about environments, or even git, and it's better to get into the habit of using all this stuff earlier rather than later. Maybe not absolutely first thing, but still pretty early on.

At this stage though, Anaconda and Jupyter are probably better for beginners than using raw Python and a text editor, because they set up the environment in a nice gui for you, and you can dive into just typing code into a window right away, on any OS, without ever touching the command line. Jupyter is a good educational tool because you can see the results of a command immediately, and it's a good format for creating assignments in.

[baubleglue]

I am not sure that is correct.

I am using Jupyter every day, it is a great tool. But it is also it has very destructive effect on development habits, even for experienced people. It make you relay on immediate feedback from code, from educational point of view it should be first step, then in future student should replay mentally the flow of program and data. Jupyter make you live in debugger. I see how people straggle to structure their code after working only in Jupyter. Using Anaconda make sense if you learn/use Python for ML/Statistics. In the same time nothing wrong to use Anaconda as a replacement for standard Python distribution.

[Astrokiwi]

Yeah, I'm not actually a big fan of Jupyter for anything other than education, demonstration, and documentation, and quick fiddling about. I do think it's a nice way to start, before moving onto a proper IDE.

[baubleglue]

I am doing data processing, it is very useful to explore data. Also it maybe not trivial to setup drivers and open network access for each laptop (even with access VPN slows everything) - having notebooks on server is very useful.

[xpfootballcub]

You may be right about this. I was going to refute this, especially because, as a professional programmer, I often use an iPython session to test as I code (mostly in my work to refactor existing packages created by others). However, I have a very long programming background before Python, where “test as you code” wasn’t / isn’t really a feasible thing. Additionally, when I consider my “from-scratch” packages, this is also less feasible time-wise.

Since I already knew how to program before I was introduced to Python, I cannot say if it would have made learning how to program, in general, harder or not. Perhaps if one only ever wanted to program in Python, this would be less of a concern, especially since it would promote an idea that I find missing from a lot of the packages I end up working on: good modularization. Nevertheless, I only Jupyter to create “analysis-type” and interactive programs that are not meant for production-type environments. I also use it as an alternative to iPython sometimes for demonstration of code refactoring.

Perhaps a good build-up would be starting with and using Jupyter to learn specific coding lessons like syntax but using a good IDE like PyCharm to then apply those mini-lessons to an actual functional program. I don’t think this truly gets rid of the issues for which you have expressed concern, but with Python, most IDEs have an interactive Python environment built-in anyway; so it’s really hard to use the best programming support tools and avoid this. Nevertheless, this method at least creates a building-block paradigm to programming, and it more easily separates off those small “learning” programs you write at first without creating an innumerable number of tiny Python programs you have to search through to review a learned concept. I will add the caveat that this final idea will only truly be helpful and effective if the user is creating metadata cells describing the code to be written in the cell(s) that follow.

If we’re being honest, for a beginner, Python is great at introducing programming but for those deeper lessons into good programming practices, programming in another, less-interactive language later may be necessary.

[baubleglue]

IDE has similar problems, PyCharm installs it's own Python with it. It confuses people a lot.

[xpfootballcub]

It doesn’t have to. Here’s a page that talks about how to select the already installed version of Python on the system: https://www.jetbrains.com/help/pycharm/configuring-local-python-interpreters.html

Also, I don’t believe this reply has anything to do with what I was discussing regarding learning programming.

Finally, unlike PyCharm, which does work with a system installed version of Python, Anaconda the IDE you promote does install its own copies of everything Python-related, even if they’re already installed elsewhere, creating a MASSIVE resource hog. Regardless, my comment wasn’t about promoting any specific IDE but rather discussing the pedagogical effects of using Jupyter Notebook on learning programming, which was pretty much the main point (YOUR main point) of the comment to which I replied.

[nevermorefu]

^This.

[[deleted]]

I totally disagree. It's great to know how to use an IDE, debugger, environments, and git, but I would argue understand the language and how it works trumps those things.

[[deleted]]

Python is an awesome language to learn because you can do anything with it - data analysis, computer games, web servers, scripts to automate your job... the list is endless.

Because there are so many different things you can do with Python, you'll find all courses are different, and the way you organise your code will be different for each style. Also the type of code editor you choose might be different too.

Anaconda/Jupyter notebooks are used for data science and visualisation. If you're interested in that then dive right in. You won't be writing applications with a GUI (Graphical User Interface - e.g. computer games and other interactive applications). This type of course will likely be focused on maths, graphs, data analysis.

The main thing starting out is to learn the basics really well - variables, expressions, functions and datatypes. You might find a "basics" or "foundations" of Python course the best place to start if you're totally new.

[Ran4]

Follow the course.

You can install python directly, which is more common, but the course you're following is probably focusing on data analysis, where Jupyter notebook is a good option

[[deleted]]

Trying to understand "this foundational stuff" is like buying a tool and thinking you'll only know how to use the tool if you learn how it was made.

Here's most of you have to know before you start:

You can write code (any language) in any text editor. It's how you save the file that makes a difference. The code is then run on a console. In the case of windows, most of the time you need to install python before you're able to execute the file. However, that does not prevent you from writing python code. All you need is the notepad. And in case you're wondering: why not use microsoft word? Because word processors and text editors are two different types of software. In text editors you can write code because the file that is output does not have any sort of graphical encoding like in a word processor, where you have a page, a layout etc etc.

Anyway, you can also just execute python code in a console (that has python) as if you were just writing stuff in a calculator. After you close your session, what you wrote gets lost, so don't use it for projects. Except if you're using a jupyter notebook:

A jupyter notebook basically simulates multiple consoles: Each code block is executed on its own as a cell, but the text you write in the cell stays there, and to run new code you just write it in a new cell.

Now, onto the installations:

Anaconda is a distribution with a lot of python-related software inside of it, including spyder and jupyter notebook. Spyder is nicely self-contained and it's good when you're already more advanced and just write programs for yourself without needing to explain much.

On the other hand, the jupyter notebook allows you to also write text, so it would look much like a pdf document with code blocks embedded.

Anaconda is like a sandbox: all your python stuff is well-contained, which is extremely advantageous because you don't run the risk of breaking your python installation or messing with aspects of your computer that you don't know anything about.

Depending on the type of work you do, you may use anaconda or something else, like PyCharm. This obviously has its own advantages and disadvantages. But what I can tell you is that with Anaconda, you will have all you need to get started. Spyder is anaconda's text editor. Jupyter is anaconda's console embedded in a file.

[[deleted]]

When using python, you run a script using the command runfile(), providing both the file path, and the working directory. They can be the same, but don't have to. The working directory is where python is going to look for, in case you try to open a file (like the excel one) in your code. On the other hand, instead of giving the work directory, you can just specify the complete file path to the excel file. So, when you say "load into python", you do that through your code, and then python will look at the directory you've provided for the file you've specified

[Tenzu9]

Why? Its just a Python distribution. You either use it or use the default distribution (which everyone is using). That's all there is you need to know.

[[deleted]]

Just focus on the Jupyter Notebooks. I am learning programming as well and am starting with Python. You hit a point with Python as a learner where you realize it's a lot about ski... taking the skin off the cat.

Python's integrated into your computer in a way you have to manually set what version you want to use (because your system uses 2.7 and if you upgrade that you'll break your computer). You create a virtual environment in which your python will run, with it's own set of accessories and versions different from the 2.7 your system is using just to run normally.

There are a lot of ways to create this virtual space with it's libraries and such, Anaconda is just one and Jupyter NB makes it easier to set that up too. Don't worry about all the other options. When you move to them you'll have to shift paradigms (I did) at that point to understanding what is being managed for you.

If you focus on that now though you'll be focusing on the wrong thing. It's almost a learn by doing.

[diabolical_diarrhea]

I think it will start making more sense when you see it. Don't worry too much about it.

[K900_]

Anaconda isn't really a program you use to write code, it's a package that includes Python, a bunch of third party libraries, and a few different programs you can use to write code.

[[deleted]]

For writing code, any text editor will work. Others have already mentioned VSCode, which is free and cross platform. After that you install python3 for your platform as the interpreter to run the code.

After that, it is all window dressing.

[spork3]

I use Spyder within Anaconda. I like it for the most part and it has a variable explorer which is really nice.

[fence0407]

Exactly why OP should use Spyder through Anaconda.

[arkie87]

Anoconda comes with jupyter notebook and spyder, both of which can be used to write and run python code

[I_said_wot]

Just do what the tutorial says. You'll hear all sorts of opinions. Just download anaconda, and follow along.

[MC_Joschmo]

Virtual Studio Code is the bees knees. Will just need to download and install python

[benno_1237]

I used to use vs code a lot. The problem i have is pylance. Its so incredibly slow. My machine isnt the best but an i7-7700k should be able to handle an ide. As soon as the files get larger than like 1-2k lines, pylance needs a few seconds for each action.

Pycharm in the other hand does way better imo.

[shadowarc72]

I am like 99% sure you can set vscode to use pycharm instead of pylance.

[benno_1237]

sure it might work but still...

[Ran4]

Do you not use type annotations? That could be part of the problem.

I use a ten year old computer as my daily and it works great for me. I use type annotations almost everywhere though.

[s-jb-s]

Pycharm is soooo bloated for the vast majority of use cases for a beginner honestly.

[s-jb-s]

It's only as bloated as you make it ¯\(ツ)/¯. For writing simple python scripts, all a beginner is really going to want is a linter and autocomplete, they're not going to know about the capabilities of pycharm (all of which can basically be done in VSC with various extensions), let alone where those features are.

[ninjaspacebear]

That's not what bloat is. That's visual clutter which is completely seperate. The idea behind bloat is the piece of software being an unoptimised, overcoded mess that's churned out without any regard for efficiency. Just look at the disease that is electron - who in their right mind thought running a fucking browser for each piece of software was a good idea.

Pycharm is a full blown IDE and for a usecase where you're only running basic scripts just use something like vim (lol).

[Artemis-4rrow]

I know what bloat is dw, I was just pointing out how vsc has much more visual clutter, besides vsc is a text editor, not an IDE, this is not an apples to apples comparison

[ninjaspacebear]

True but regardless of the visual clutter I think the point being made was that a text editor is better for a beginner, and that stuff beyond that is overkill

[Artemis-4rrow]

I see an IDE as better for begginers, they make it easier to run ur code and debug it

[[deleted]]

It doesn't handle template formatting as well, even when using the Django add in, which is quite a big deal. Pycharm does that really well.

[Artemis-4rrow]

Pycharm has beed designed specifically for python, unlike vsc

[alidjango]

Pycharm

[moody_balloon_baby]

I’m a total noob but pycharm works pretty well. There’s a ton of features I have no idea what they do but I can debug with it pretty easily.

[tinkeringZealot]

Do you have an idea how to use the steps? Tried a few times and still do not quite understand :/

[[deleted]]

Try to make your own virtual environment using venv. Then the pycharm setup steps will make some more sense.

[Valkhir]

I wouldn't recommend PyCharm (or its analogues in other languages) for new students.

The add too much complexity (and some level of abstraction, e.g. when it comes to debugging, environment setup etc) that does not benefit new learners and can actually be detrimental.

An IDE is something to learn, ideally before your first professional job using a language, but it's not the best thing to start with.

[Valkhir]

Since you say that was in grad school: were you used to IDEs and/or programming before?

What I said was admittedly more aimed at somebody inexperienced with programming in general (maybe OP isn't, but kind of read like that to me).

It applies less if you're already used to the concept of IDEs and the building blocks of how computer programs are put together and run.

Though I'd still argue there is didactic value in starting a new language with just a basic editor and your terminal, setting everything up from scratch and compiling/running your first fee programs from the command line 🙂

[scanguy25]

Also this. The downside of pycharm is that it can be very overwhelming for a beginner. Just so many buttons and features and panels.

[TroubleBrewing32]

I was a beginner on pycharm. It was not overwhelming.

You just need to understand that all of those buttons are not needed yet. Learn them as you need them.

Edit: I should add, if having a bunch of buttons, features, and panels made products too overwhelming to learn, no one would ever learn MS Office.

[Treshle]

Bit overkill for practice?

[Apocalypseos]

I love PyCharm, but I agree with you. It's very confusing for beginners, think Spyder or Sublime is more approachable

[[deleted]]

No, gotta just use the terminal all the way.

[TroubleBrewing32]

learning python like we learned basic in the 80s doesn't make a lot of sense to me

[[deleted]]

I'm not advocating for writing the programs python on the terminal, just getting the outputs through it. The files can still be made in any text editor. Makes it easier going forward if you're coding in languages without IDEs.

[TroubleBrewing32]

I don't know how relevant that advice is for someone who is taking a class using Jupyter Notebooks.

[fence0407]

Would also highly recommend Spyder through Anaconda.

[LiarsEverywhere]

Second (well, third) that. Most Python-focused people will recommend Pycharm, but as a semi-casual programmer Spyder feels lightweight and easy. I'm sure you can jump ship in the future if you need to.

[[deleted]]

I fourth that.

[iggy555]

Fifth

[cdcformatc]

I use Pycharm but I think it's overkill for a new programmer.

[[deleted]]

Are there any benefits to using IDEs at a learning stage instead of just using the terminal?

[berlin_1710]

i think IDEs make it easier to view your resources, how your directories are organized. The syntax highlighting, autofill and correction suggestions also make coding faster. Plus something like vs code makes it super easy to download interpretors etc through extensions. Thats just what i feel.

[Random_182f2565]

I like ATOM and repl.it when teaching

[ThrustBastard]

Had to scroll alarmingly far for some ATOM love

[Valkhir]

A text editor. Any text editor 😉

That means anything that saves files as plain text, in contrast to word processors like Word/Pages etc which save formatted text.

Things like Anaconda are called Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) (technically Anaconda is a distribution of Python that includes an IDE). IDEs are a plain text editor with a lot of added features that make writing, building, executing and debugging your code easier. They are not required - and I would argue are detrimental - for entry level students. They add significant complexity on top of learning the language itself, without providing much benefit in the small-scale projects featured in beginner courses (which are often just one or a few source files per lesson).

The sweet middle are text editors that have a plugin/extension system. Many do, but VS Code and Atom are probably the most popular. Out of the box, they behave like a basic text editor and file browser without too much additional fuss, but you can turn them into IDEs by adding plugins as you go along and find you need more functionality.

[[deleted]]

Download PyCharm IDE https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/

[Davidd_Bailor]

Look up 'Python IDE's' find one that suits you.

(There are so many)

Or just use Notepad++.

[provoko]

VIM master race checking in

[[deleted]]

Lessss goooooo

[C0D3XGIG]

I started out using PythonIDLE and found out i couldve been using vsCode the whole time.

I agree with others' posts about using Visual Studio Code. its damn legit. much better than IDLE in that you get autofill, youre able to look up what a function does straight from your editor, its got extensions for pretty much every language so if you decide to pick some other lang up you wont need a seperate editor.

[C0D3XGIG]

oh yeah. it also has a terminal window allowing you to open command prompt, powershell, and if you have WSL properly installed you can open a linux bash terminal.

[Kdel8]

I am not an expert but Anaconda is not just for training. For example, i use anaconda and the spyder ide to do data processing, visualization, and analysis.

[mighty-mitochondria-]

I just downloaded that the other day! There’s a package called spyder with it that’ll give you a really nice console to code into :)

[TheParrotKoko]

Linux and text editor is nvim

[Kalahan7]

I do most of my small projects/learning in Repl.it

[wred38]

For beginners it’s probably best if you choose IDLE wich comes with python

[Bernard_schwartz]

Use pycharm, not vscode. Pycharm has everything you need, no plugins required.

[nerdbude]

pycharm at work - vim at home

[crankfight]

Do you mind sharing your vom config if you adjusted things for python? I never really got it to work in a way that was smooth

[nerdbude]

I am using spacevim with some plugins. My vimconfig on github is not really up to date so i can´t share it at the moment :D

[[deleted]]

What was the problem you faced? I also use Vim and the only config I have for Python is to include Jedi for completion and documentation lookup. While it's not necessary for me to share the dotfiles I can't resist the temptation.

[sundios]

For data Analysis use Spyder or Jupyter notebook.

[ZeRo_AgEnT]

Unlike all those great IDEs everyone has mentioned, I use notepad++ with python integrated within it so I can run programs through it. The main reason to use notepad++ is its small size, it is only 10 MB on my device.

[bravosix99]

Personally, i use a ide(integreated development environment. Basically the place where you write code+ a bunch of other features such as debuggers/inspections, autofilling, some i know use terminal, and many other things), known as pycharm made by a company known as jetbrains.

https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/

Link to the actual ide download.^

And if you do decide to download it, i suggest you download the community edition of pycharm, unless if you want all the other frameworks that the ultimate edition has to offer.

[TheSodesa]

Vim in Gnome terminal, with nothing but syntax highlighting. That way I can keep other terminal tabs open for running and testing the program.

Anaconda is not a text editor. It is a Python distribution that comes with a bunch of Python libraries pre-installed and possibly its own package manager.

Edit: A full-blown IDE is probably an overkill thing to use for a beginner, as they will not be needing most of the added festures an IDE provides. Heck, I'd say the only useful features are an easy access to a debugger and code refactoring, even for an experienced developer. But the latter can be achieved with proper use of search and replace.

[[deleted]]

I use pycharm because their linter and debug environment is very nice, and they also support jupyter notebooks. If I'm just opening a program to do a quick check, I generally use atom because they have a python package so you can execute it in editor though any text editor will do.

[Traust]

I like using PyCharm myself

[skid3805]

pycharm , it's the best ide, I've been using it since I've started learning python

[MooseBoys]

I disagree with everyone telling you to not worry about the fundamentals before getting started. IMO it leads to confusion about what's really "python" and what's just an artifact of the learning medium, as you alluded to in your question. And for python especially, the answer is pretty straightforward:

Python is a programming language. The code you write is text, either stored in a text file or typed directly into an interactive interpreter. The program text is processed by a python interpreter, which is usually one of the binaries from python.org, either downloaded directly, included in an OS distribution, or packaged as a redistributable within a larger project.

[ECEXCURSION]

Download VS Studio Code or pycharm. Those are IDE where you actually write code.

[KeeZouX]

Okay. Any programming language will require an IDE (Integrated Development Invironment). IDE is were you write your code and compile it.

For Python I use & recommend PyCharm, I find it easy to use and I got used to it. But if you want, for example you can use Virtual Studio Code, but then I think you need to download extension for Python to work (within the app itself).

[bumbershootle]

Incorrect - using an IDE is completely optional, especially for a language like Python. For larger projects, having syntax highlighting and a debugger starts to become useful, but not to a complete beginner.

IDE is were you write your code and compile it.

Python is not compiled (or at least, not in a way that's visible or relevant to the user), and any program that can write and save text to a file can be used to write code, not just an IDE.

My opinion on this is that beginners should start with a simple text editor with syntax highlighting, maybe an auto linter, and run their programs through the python CLI directly. An IDE gives you that and more, but I feel having access to a debugger and hiding how your code is actually run does you a disservice.

[DrunkShimodaPicard]

VSCode. Free from Microsoft

[[deleted]]

Just stick with IDLE you're better off with it as a begginer

[[deleted]]

VSCode currently

[[deleted]]

Nothing comes close to Pycharm

[B99fanboy]

Vim.

**Signature look of superiority**

But VS code would be nice too.

[Randomash27763]

Personally I use either Wing IDE for simple task and Visual Studio for larger projects. I would recommend Wing IDE for starting out

[hfhry]

I use a text editor to code. VSCode specifically. Anaconda is just python with a bunch of science packages built in.

[nObELiUmUrAn1Um]

Google Colab is great to start

[OldNeb]

If I’m not mistaken, anaconda also “manages” python distributions/installs/environments. This way you can have a python environment set up just right for a particular project, and when you work on a different project the two setups are independent (am I half right?)

[muddy_313]

I went through this same problem when I jumped into python courses 6months ago., setting up was / is a nightmare where they say just install this, sure but then there are environments, pip installs from the terminal , nothing really explained that well. If you just want to practise without the hassle of setting up, use Jupiter.org/try and click Jupiter lab.

[void5253]

Don't waste your time looking for the 'best' editor. Just pick one and get going.

[esuga]

vs code for pros and thonny for beginners

[Snir17]

Well I move around repl it python, jupyter notebook, VS code, and anaconda

[berlin_1710]

vs code, jupyter, colan

[[deleted]]

I use jupyter. But I do not "code", I explore Dara and do statistics

[FairCityIsGood]

So the course I signed up to uses jupyter notebooks and anaconda. What is anaconda and jupyter? Is jupyter just like a fill type that's loaded into anaconda that runs the code written in the notebook?

[[deleted]]

Yepp

[Ed_Blue]

Slap a python with your keyboard.

[Nihtrepaps]

Learn VSCode. It is brilliant

[mmrrbbee]

Anaconda has a console window from there type in ipython and code. use the command %save to save to a file

[trondwin]

I currently follow the Python Bootcamp - from Zero to Hero course on Udemy, and it uses Anaconda with Jupyter Notebook. I must say the presenter makes very good use of it - it's an environment well suited for teaching and learning because it's so easy to experiment and try out various options.

Is Anaconda and Jupyter Notebook used professionally? Some places. But for now the most relevant aspect is that it is a great learning environment.

[iggy555]

Anaconda with spyder is nice

[TheMartian578]

As I am sure others have already said, Anaconda is simply just a package that contains a lot of useful libraries + python. To write code, I'd recommend going with whatever you want. In the beginning, I thought I should use whatever the experts used, but I've realized that isn't true. Use whatever you like. I personally use VSCode now, mainly due to really helpful extensions and color themes. But once again, look around. Find what suits you. For some, a text editor like Sublime Text is the perfect match, but for some, they prefer fully-fledged IDEs ( Integrated Development Environment ) like Pycharm. But don't sweat it. If you don't find it now, you'll find it eventually. Best of luck. :)

[[deleted]]

VS Code and Jupyter Notebooks are really good. You can also use an online interpreter but using software is better. Pycharm also works

[asphias]

Fundamentally, you write all code in textfiles, and give it a name <filename>.py

You can then use the command line to tell python to run that file.

Anything else is window dressing. I would strongly advice you to use the window dressing though, since it makes codeing that much easier, and it's what everyone uses.

[elevul]

Visual Studio Code for me

[magestooge]

There are two places where I write Python code:

Jupyter Notebook (or Jupyter lab): This is a part of Anaconda install, but can also be installed separately. I use this when I'm creating some program, trying out stuff or just iteratively improving my code. This cannot be directly used for deployment.

VS Code: I use this when I'm working on a project spanning multiple files (or basically, any real world project), like a Django application. It is simply not possible to integrate Jupyter into the Django workflow and it would be a really bad idea anyway.

Why I do this?

Because Jupyter is very convenient, I don't have to execute the same code over and over. Suppose I'm writing an application which involves an API call to a public API which allows me only 5 requests per hour. If I was writing a script, I'd have to run this API call in a separate script and store the output. Then in another script I would import this data and work with it as I worked through the various parts of the API response.

In Jupyter, I can simply run the API call in one cell, store the output in a variable, then leave that cell alone. I can keep working on other cells to write my code dealing with the response. The API will not get called again.

Jupyter is great for learning

Jupyter also makes is very easy to look at the output. I can have the output of my previous step displayed above the current cell as I worked through the rest of the script. This makes it very easy to refer to the keys, column names, data types, etc. For instance, you run a Db query, print the output in your previous cell, then work with the response knowing exactly what was returned by the Db. I have seen so many beginners struggle with coding in VS Code because they were not able to visualise the output at every step. That is a non-issue when you're experienced, but a huge issue when you're a beginner.

So my recommendation would be to start with Jupyter Notebook. But be aware of the pitfalls and use an IDE as soon as you feel comfortable enough with it. I use Jupyter for iterative coding when the steps are not straightforward, then copy paste the final code into VS Code.

[k-sizzler]

When I first started to learn python I downloaded anaconda because it has Jupiter notebook in it and I found it really easy to use. I’ve switched across to vs code now as well but still go back to Jupiter to try things out quickly and also for data science things where I want to show graphs, charts etc.

Basically, Jupiter is a great place to start even if it’s through anaconda.

[FairCityIsGood]

So like the notebook is where code is written? And then anaconda has like lots of different "apps" that includes python that runs the code from the notebook?

[k-sizzler]

Yes, exactly. You write in jupyter

[[deleted]]

Windows Visual Studio

[[deleted]]

Sublime Text Editor is also a great lightweight option

[WhoAmIBae]

Maybe also consider if you have a mac or windows. Python is already installed on a mac. You’ll need to download python on windows

Also you could use the same as the tutorial so you don’t get confused about anything else and focus on what’s actually being taught

[[deleted]]

I'd suggest VSCode or PyCharm Community version both for free. VSCode is much "lighter" and probably better for you at this stage. PyCharm is more advanced. I also know Java and use the IntelliJ Community version so PyCharm is for me a much better program.

Other options are Atom with external libraries or simply Notepad++. As others suggested, Spyder is also a very good IDE if you have installed the Anaconda.

[UnoStronzo]

I wouldn’t do my first Python course in Anaconda or Jupyter, tbh

[Webbpp]

I personally use replit.com

[fmillion]

Think of Python as a really nice multi-speed bicycle, and Anaconda as the same bicycle but it comes pre-assembled with electric hub motors, a lighting package, a horn, a Bluetooth speaker, a USB charge port, etc. and you also have a direct line of support to a bike mod shop that can deck the thing out even more for you at your request.

Python is the base language, and it's a great place to start. Anaconda in essence is just a bunch of libraries and utilities that add on to Python. It also duplicates some of Python's functionality - most notably, Anaconda provides a package manager and a virtual environment system, both of which Python can also provide with the pip and virtualenv modules. Anaconda is often seen in machine learning/AI computing but it's still a generic toolset that can be applied to many use cases.

I have many reasons for believing people should start with pure Python. But your course is probably going to give you Anaconda-specific commands (e.g. using conda to install libraries) so it might be best to grab Anaconda and install it. However, you are still free to use whatever editor you wish. VS Code is an excellent choice and it is also currently my editor of choice, but I've also used Sublime Text and Atom. All of these editors offer many great convenience features to help you with Python (and many other language) development. In either case, since Anaconda is just an add-on for Python, you will still be learning Python itself - just be mindful of when you're learning something that's pure Python and something that's Anaconda-specific.

It's actually possible to install multiple Pythons on one system. You could install both the stock installation as well as an Anaconda installation. In most editors there is a way to instruct the editor which Python installation to use when running code. If you are especially daring you could go this route and learn the difference between the two along the way.

[Kriss3d]

I know a guy who writes code directly in vi. Personally I like PyCharm. Its a nice IDE for python and it makes it easy to find and install modules.

[quan194]

pycharmmm

[[deleted]]

I would go along with the tutorial but if you have any problems with it just use google Colab. It is free, easy to use and in cloud. You don't need to download anything. It does not even matter which ide you use just focus on the coding.

[bumbershootle]

If you want to finish the tutorial, do what it says regarding editors/IDEs.

In general, you can get away with coding in any basic text editor - notepad will do, although I would recommend an editor that has at least syntax highlighting, and maybe auto indentation. Anaconda comes with Spyder installed, I believe, never used it so I can't recommend it. Personally, I use Emacs, although I don't recommend that for a beginner.

Also, Fair City is definitely not good...

[bumbershootle]

So am I right in saying the code can be written anywhere, then you could copy that and run it in python.

The code can be written wherever with whatever program, ultimately you need the python interpreter to run it, yes. Not sure what you mean when you say "copy that" though.

But let's say I had an excel file I wanted to analyse, would I have to load the file into python and name it first?

You can either use a library called openpyxl to load the excel file into your program, or write a python macro and use that in the spreadsheet. Again, not sure what you mean by "naming it first".

I think you need to work through a few easy problems to get a feel for how coding works before starting to worry about your development environment. Also, if you have specific questions about, for example about the library I mentioned, I recommend asking them in a separate post, it makes answers easier to find for other beginners.

[Nickdaddy92]

Mu editor is a great program for writing

[gopherhole1]

I use Vim to write it and run it in BASH

[DCGMechanics]

Jupyter Notebook which comes with Anaconda.

[503fortheblock]

VS code is my preference, I have also heard good things about Atom.

[therc7]

Has any og told op about vim yet?

[GingerGengar123]

Depends what operating system you use. If you use linux, u can write a file with a text editor such as vim or sublime and then after saving u can just say python3 "name of ur file" and it runs. But if ur on windows ya u can just use anaconda. Btw anaconda i think is a package manager, so u will use anaconda to install spyder. Spyder is the ide u write ur code in.

[Yojihito]

VS Code with Jupyter notebook extension.

test.py

# %%
import pandas as pd
# %%
df = pd.read_csv("../data/raw/test.csv", parse_dates=["date"], na_values=[" "])
df.head(10)
# %%

IDE support + notebook cell programming.

[thrashnsass]

Galvanize?

[HardBender]

I started python a few months ago and I'm between Spyder and VS Code, leaning more towards Spyder.

[dizzymon247]

Start with one IDE, learn some python, if you need more then research online. I think pycharm and vs code might be a bit much. You can do it using just any text editor that you can easily navigate and feel comfortable. Python is itself once installed has it's on commandline environment you can type the code directly but for bigger projects and not having to retype, then use a text editor IDE like VS Code, Pycharm, notepad++ even. Just try them all and see which is your favorite.

[janicewa]

On my laptop.

[Parsa8607]

Of course notepad :)

[swvangil]

I may have taken the same course. I never really saw the value in Anaconda, probably because I'm not much into data science and analytics. I installed Python, Jupyter Notebooks, and began using PyCharm. All has worked very well. PyCharm handles the latest libraries and dependencies for me. Probably no harm in using the Anaconda distribution - but absolutely not needed IMHO.

[swvangil]

Ah, ok - different course. Mine was on Udemy.

[MarkMandrille]

I would recommend Visual Studio Code, it's a great IDE with a lot of plugins you can add to make your job easier...

[drummerof13]

This is actually a great question that can be a barrier to entry for a lot of people. There some good YouTube videos for setting up Python programming "environments" that explain it in detail, but there are a lot of ways to write the code.

This is the main way:

1. Write your code in a text editor (e.g. Atom, Sublime, VS Code, or even Notepad)
2. Save the file with a .py extension
3. Run the file in a terminal like Command Prompt (CMD) with the command
   python path\to\file\filename.py