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Welcome! Python is a versatile and powerful programming language, widely used for web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and more. This tutorial will guide you through the installation of Python and setting up a Python development environment in PyCharm, a popular integrated development environment (IDE) for Python.

To get started with Python, you'll first need to install it on your computer. Follow the instructions below for your operating system:

1.1. Installation with Anaconda

Anaconda is a popular distribution of Python and R programming languages, which simplifies package management and deployment. It comes with many pre-installed packages and tools for data science and machine learning.

For Windows:

Visit the Anaconda website at https://www.anaconda.com/products/distribution and download the installer for your operating system. Run the installer and follow the installation instructions. After the installation is complete, you can verify the installation by opening a terminal (or Anaconda Prompt on Windows) and typing conda --version. You should see the installed Anaconda version displayed. To check the Python version, type python --version.

For macOS:

Visit the Anaconda website at https://www.anaconda.com/products/distribution and download the installer for macOS. Open the downloaded package (.pkg file) and follow the installation instructions. After the installation is complete, you can verify the installation by opening Terminal and typing conda --version. You should see the installed Anaconda version displayed. To check the Python version, type python --version.

1.2. Standard Installation

For Windows:

Visit the official Python website at https://www.python.org/downloads/ and download the latest version of Python. Run the installer. Be sure to check the box "Add Python to PATH" before clicking "Install Now." This will make it easier to run Python from the command prompt. After the installation is complete, you can verify the installation by opening a command prompt and typing python --version. You should see the installed Python version displayed.

For macOS:

Visit the official Python website at https://www.python.org/downloads/ and download the latest version of Python. Open the downloaded package and follow the installation instructions. After the installation is complete, you can verify the installation by opening Terminal and typing python --version. You should see the installed Python version displayed.

1.2. Setting up a Python Development Environment in PyCharm

Now that Python is installed, let's set up a development environment in PyCharm.

  1. Download and install PyCharm from https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/. There are two editions available: Community Edition (free) and Professional Edition (paid). For this tutorial, the Community Edition is sufficient.

  2. Open PyCharm and create a new project by clicking "Create New Project" on the welcome screen.

  3. Choose a location for your project and make sure the "Python Interpreter" field is set to the Python version you installed earlier. If not, click the gear icon next to the field and select "Add Interpreter." Choose "System Interpreter" and select the Python executable from the list. Click "Create" to create your new Python project.

  4. You're now ready to start writing Python code! In the next chapter, we'll dive into Python basics, including syntax, variables, and data types.