Quick Start

Note

We will be using uv for managing Python installation and package management, VSCode as the code editor, and optionally git for version control. You can find out more about these tools here:

• uv - An extremely fast Python package and project manager
• VSCode - A versatile and open source code editor
• git - A free and open source distributed version control system

Read more about how to use VSCode here.

Feel free to install these tools following the instruction on their respective websites or talk to your IT department if you feel unsure. You can also use the Scoop application installer to both install and keep these programs up to date.

Below are instruction for using Scoop on Windows to quickly get up and running with your first Python project and the necessary dependencies. If you are not using Windows, please use the installation manager for your OS or consult your IT department.

Install dependencies using Scoop

Scoop is a command-line installer for Windows that makes it easy to install and update programs in a portable, isolated way, without the need for administrative permissions.

1. Install Scoop by opening a Powershell terminal window (press the Windows key and type “powershell”) and running the following commands:

   Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
   Invoke-RestMethod -Uri https://get.scoop.sh | Invoke-Expression

   Once installed you can use Scoop from either Powershell or the standard command line (cmd).

2. Add the extras bucket in Scoop to get access to more programs:

   scoop bucket add extras

3. Install the programs:

   # Install and add Windows Terminal to the context menu
   scoop install windows-terminal
   reg import "%USERPROFILE%\scoop\apps\windows-terminal\current\install-context.reg"
   
   # Install and add VSCode to the context menu, and set file associations
   scoop install vscode
   reg import "%USERPROFILE%\scoop\apps\vscode\current\install-context.reg"
   reg import "%USERPROFILE%\scoop\apps\vscode\current\install-associations.reg"
   
   # Install other tools
   scoop install uv
   scoop install git
   scoop install just

The Windows Terminal, git, and just are optional dependencies and not strictly required for following along with the course.

Create your first Python project

1. Create a new folder for your project:

   

2. Open the Windows Terminal in the project folder:

   

3. Initialize a Python environment using uv:

   uv init

4. Test that the Python environment works:

   uv run main.py
   # ...
   # Hello from my-first-python-project!

5. (Optional) If you want to use the Python interactive mode, install the ipykernel package:

   uv add ipykernel

6. (Optional) Make an initial Git commit:

   git add --all
   git commit -m "Initial commit."

7. Open VSCode to start coding:

   code .

   or:

   

Work with VSCode

Get familiar with VSCode and install the recommended extension, more information in the VSCode chapter.