Python On Windows XP: 7 Minutes To “Hello World!”
Instead of being all things to all users, this little how-to assumes the following:
- You are a Windows XP user who is curious about computer programming;
- You would like to install the Python computer language on your Windows XP machine, start the Python interpreter, and run the classic “Hello World!” program.
(Any Vista users? You can help by leaving a note about any differences you encounter while following these instructions on Vista. Thanks, rd)
If you have questions, like “What is Python and why should I install it on my Windows XP computer?” go read Why Python on Windows XP? Come back if you want to install Python.
Back already? Never left? Okay, proceed.
A company called ActiveState makes a free, all-in-one Python distribution that has everything you need to run Python on Windows XP, with all of the “hooks” you’ll eventually want to control your Windows machine and Windows programs using Python.
I don’t work for ActiveState. I am not an affiliate. There is no affiliate id or code in the link I provide to their site. I get no fee or percentage from them. I am not a computer expert, nor am I a computer scientist, just a Python fan.
Ready? Assuming you have cable or DSL, you are less than seven minutes away from having Python installed on your computer and typing your first command at the interpreter prompt. Go!
- Open another browser window (so you can keep reading this one) by pressing shift-and-click on the: ActivePython page of the ActiveState site.
- You are on the ActivePython page. See the “Choose From” menu box, where the first choice is “ActivePython”? Next to it is a little blue Download button. Click on it.
- Now a form appears where, if you wish, you may give ActiveState your name and email address. It’s not required. If you comply, you may receive one or two emails a year telling you about new distributions. If in doubt, skip it, come back later and sign up. Click “Continue“.
- Now you’re on a page where you get to choose from a dozen different Python installations, just in case you are an Alpha Geek interested in installing Python on your Solaris Sparc WorkStation, your Slackware distro, or your AMD64 desktop. If you’re an Alpha Geek, you know which one to install, right? But you’re not an Alpha Geek (yet), you’re an average Windows XP user, right? So you want the newest version (2.5.1.1) and click on the one that says: “Windows (x86) (21.2 MB).” The actual link is the little “MSI” underneath.
- Download this file and make a note of where you store it on your computer. It takes a few minutes to complete the download. Pass the time by recalling the “Bring Out Your Dead” scene from The Holy Grail. Done? Okay, go find the ActivePython file on your computer.
- As of this writing, the file you downloaded is called “ActivePython-2.5.1.1-win32-x86.msi.” It’s about 21 megabytes, which is half the size of the last driver I installed for my Logitech Mouse.
- Double-click on the ActivePython file.
- Up pops the ActiveState box and tells you it’s going to install ActivePython. Click Next.
- Up pops the Licensing Agreement. Check the Accept box. Click Next.
- Up pops a dialogue box allowing you to customize the installation. Don’t customize it. Click Next.
- See the button that says “Install”? Click it.
- You’re done, and the ActivePython User Guide appears.
- Now go to START | All Programs | ActiveState ActivePython 2.5.
- The menu will break out into submenus. You want the one that says: “Pythonwin Editor.” Click on it.
- You are now at the command prompt of the Python interpreter and ready to speak Parseltongue.
- Your cursor will be blinking just to the right of a prompt that looks like this: >>>
- Type the following command there and make sure that “Hello World!” is inside quotation marks:
>>> print “Hello World!” - Press Enter. You should see Hello World! appear in a different-colored font on the line below.
- If so, you’re done!
You are inside the interpreter of the Pythonwin IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Leave the Python interpreter open, ready, and waiting to take your commands. Go to one of the following tutorials, which will teach you how to use the Python interpreter to learn Python:
- Learning To Program (if you’re in a hurry to type more commands into the interpreter, go straight to the “Simple Sequences” section of Professor Gauld’s justifiably famous tutorial).
- A Beginner’s Python Tutorial. Steven Thurlow wrote this simple, excellent tutorial for the modding community of Firaxis’ Civilization. Useful to beginners with little or no programming knowledge.
- Python Baby Steps Tutorial (a new, well-made tutorial that walks you through the basics of using the Python IDE to interact with the Python interpreter, or to make your first Python scripts).
- One Day of IDLE Toying (made for a slightly different version of the IDE, but most instructions work fine with the Pythonwin IDE).
- A Byte of Python (Keeps getting better. Now available on an easy-to-read wiki. It’s geared toward an IDE used on both Linux and Windows, so ignore the Linux instructions).
Once you become comfortable playing with the Python Interpreter, go to the BeginnersGuide/NonProgrammers page of the Python.org site and select more tutorials. There are plenty of good ones. All free!
Later, when you start learning to program and have more questions, visit the Python Users Group at Google Groups and search it. Chances are your question has already been asked and answered. Also, refer to this excellent Python Quick Reference sheet when you need help remembering commands.
If you prefer learning from a good Python book, try one of these two written for beginners:
- Python Programming For The Absolute Beginner, by Michael Dawson;
- Python Visual Quickstart Guide, by Chris Fehily, also the author of the best, cheapest, and shortest SQL book ever written: SQL: Visual Quickstart Guide (2nd Ed).
After you acquire basic knowledge in Python, you can move onto some other great books:
- The Python Cookbook, 2nd Ed., by Alex Martelli, et. al, which provides “recipes” for common tasks you might like to accomplish using Python on your computer. For many people, this is the best way to learn code, by studying examples contained in programs that do useful work.
- Learning Python, 3rd Ed., by Mark Lutz, commonly considered the most thorough introduction to the language for beginners, now out in a new 3rd edition that covers Python 2.5 and looks ahead to Python 3.0.
- Python: Essential Reference, 3rd Ed., by David M. Beazley. This is the newest of the Python books and probably the best all-around Python book, but newbies may find it overly terse. Beazley wastes no words and has a tight, crisp writing style. If you are already familiar with basic programming concepts, but are new to Python, Beazley is your man.
Have fun!
Richard Dooling
1. Why wouldn’t you just download the official Python windows installer http://www.python.org/download/ ? It seems a little bit pointless to use Activestate’s repackaged version when you could get the official version from the creators in a Windows-friendly format.
2. Another good reference for Python beginners is located at: http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/thinkCSpy/
Left by Brendan on April 22nd, 2006