Python for Beginners

New to programming? Python is free, and easy to learn if you know where to start! Here are some places that can get you started quickly.

Downloads

Before you start, you need Python on your computer, and you'll probably need to download Python. You probably have a PC running Windows. Here's a page with the most stable Windows download: Python 2.2.2. If you are using a Mac, see the MacPython page. For other systems, see the general download page (but you'll want to download Python 2.2.2 if it's available for your system).

On-line Tutorials

Books

For Teachers

We've collected the online tutorials on this page; for additional material specifically aimed at teachers, see the home page of the EDU-SIG.

Help!

If you experience problems using Python, and the on-line documentation doesn't help, here are a few suggestions on how to get help from real people:

Please don't write the webmaster! The webmaster should only be contacted if you have found a problem with the website, such as a broken link. If you think you've found a bug in Python, it's a good idea to check first with one of the lists above; a complex system like Python can sometimes appear to be broken when you're new at it.