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Beginner's Guide to Python
New to programming? Python is free, and easy to learn if you know
where to start! This guide will help you to get started quickly.
New to Python?
- Read our brief overview of Python to learn the key points.
- First, you need to get the Python interpreter installed on your computer.
(This is the program that reads Python programs and carries out their
instructions; you need it before you can do any Python programming.)
See "Downloading Python" for instructions
for downloading the correct version of Python.
- You'll want to select a
text editor that has
support for Python.
- Next, you're going to want to read a tutorial and try some simple experiments
with your new Python interpreter.
- Once you've read a tutorial, you can browse through
Python's online documentation.
It includes a tutorial
that may be helpful, a
Library Reference that lists all of the modules that come
standard with Python, and the
Language Reference for a complete (if rather dry) explanation
of Python's syntax.
- Most Python books will include an introduction; see the book list
for suggested titles.
- Consult the "Examples and Sample Code" page for small
programs and little snippets of code that can help you learn.
- Need help from a human? Read "Getting Help" for
mailing lists and newsgroups.
- Or, you can pay for a Python course.
- Teachers can join the EDU-SIG,
a mailing list for discussion of
Python's use in teaching at any level ranging from K-12 up to
university.
Looking for a particular Python module or application?
- The first place to look is the Python Package Index.
- If you can't find anything relevant in the Package Index,
try searching python.org - you can
find anything mentioned on the Python site, in the FAQs, or in the
newsgroup. More info: where to
search.
- Next, try Google or other
search engine of your choice. Searching for "python" and some relevant keywords will usually find something relevant.
- Finally, you can try posting a query to the comp.lang.python Usenet group.
Want to contribute?
- Python is a product of the Python Software
Foundation, a non-profit organization that holds the copyright.
Donations to the PSF are
tax-deductible in the USA, and you can donate via credit card or
PayPal.
- To report a bug in the Python core, use the Python Bug
Tracker at SourceForge.
- To contribute a bug fix or other patch to the Python
core, read the Python Developer's Guide
for more information about Python's development process.
- To contribute to the official Python
documentation, join the Documentation SIG, write to docs@python.org, or use the Patch Manager to contribute a documentation patch.
- To announce your module or application to the Python community,
use comp.lang.python.announce. See
the guide to Python mailing lists for more information.
- To propose changes to the python core, post your thoughts to comp.lang.python. If you have an
implementation, follow the Python Patch
Guidelines.
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