Only recently I added Python to the list of tools I use in my job. I had always used PowerShell if I needed to script something, until I saw how easy Python is to use. I will be keeping it in my arsenal from now on.
In near future I plan to make a blog post on how to use Python with REST APIs and in this blog post I wanted to provide quick instructions on how to install Python in Windows, that I can later use as a reference.
Installing Python
Latest version of Python for Windows can be downloaded from https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/. Executable installer is probably the easiest. When installing, make sure to check “Add Python 3.6 to PATH” option, it makes life much easier.
Installing Libraries
Python installation already includes lots of libraries that you can use for scripting. ElementTree library, for example, which is used for XML parsing, comes with the interpreter.
Depending on what you want to use Python for, you may need to install additional libraries. For instance, if you want to call REST APIs, you may need Requests – library for HTTP cals.
Python uses a package manager called “pip”. If it is not already in your PATH variable, find pip under Python installation directory and run from command line as administrator:
pip install requests
Once the library is installed you can use it by importing it into your scripts:
import requests
Writing Code
At this point you can call Python interpreter in Windows command line and start running Python commands. If you want to write a script, however, you will need an IDE. Nothing wrong in using Notepad, but there are more efficient ways to do that.
Python for Windows comes with IDE, which is called simply IDLE. It is very basic, but it provides all essential features, such as as code completion, syntax highlighting and a primitive debugger. It is not perfect but it has everything to get you started.
Conclusion
That is a quick crash course with three simple steps to get Python up and running. I tried to keep it short to demonstrate how you can start using Python with minimum effort.
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