# Installing Python

Before you can start programming in Python, you will need the Python interpreter. The Python interpreter helps translate Python 
into [machine code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_code).

Please follow Corey Schafer's video *[Python Tutorial for Beginners 1: Install and Setup for Mac and Windows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYXdXT2l-Gg)*. He will forward you to the [Python Download](https://www.python.org/downloads/) page and show you what to do. You may also want to follow his other Python videos. They are all well done.

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
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When you watch the video Corey will recommend some IDEs like PyCharm and Atom. I suggest you get [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) and it's [Python Extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python). It's currently the most popular IDE. Microsoft also has a *[Getting Started with Python in VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/python/python-tutorial)* tutorial (optional).

Corey Schafer also has a couple videos about VS Code specifically (optional viewing):
- [Visual Studio Code (Windows)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nh9rCzPJ20&ab_channel=CoreySchafer)
- [Visual Studio Code (Mac)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06I63_p-2A4&ab_channel=CoreySchafer)


What next?
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Next, just try the [Interpreter Check](interpreter-check.md)
assignment to make sure everything worked.

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©2021 Daniel Gallo

This assignment is licensed under a
[Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/deed.en_US).  

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Adapted for Python from Graham Mitchell's [Programming By Doing](https://programmingbydoing.com/)