Step 1: Install Python

1. Go to python.org/downloads
2. Download the latest Python 3.x version for your OS.
3. Check "Add Python to PATH" during installation.

Step 2: Verify Installation

Windows CMD

Mac/Linux Terminal

Step 3: Install an Editor

• PyCharm: Full IDE for projects.
• VS Code: Lightweight, add Python extension.
• Jupyter Notebook: Interactive experiments.

Step 4: PyCharm Directory Mockup & File Types

Here’s how your project directory and code will look inside PyCharm:

# hello.py
print("Hello, Python!")

name = input("Enter your name: ")
print("Welcome,", name)

Explanation of Important Files:

• .py files (Python scripts): Contain your Python code. These are the main programs you run. Example: hello.py
• .txt files (Text files): Used to store data, configurations, or input/output for your program. Example: data.txt can store names, scores, or any other data your program reads.
• requirements.txt: Lists all external Python packages your project depends on. Install them using pip install -r requirements.txt.

Other common files you may encounter:

• .csv – Comma-separated data, often used for datasets.
• .json – Structured data for APIs or configurations.
• .ipynb – Jupyter Notebook files for interactive Python experiments.

Step 5: Run Your First Program

Step 6: Simple Exercise