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The official home of the Python Programming Language. Python Releases for Mac OS X. Latest Python 3 Release - Python 3.8.3; Latest Python 2 Release - Python 2.7.18; Stable Releases. Python 3.8.4rc1 - June 30, 2020. Download macOS 64-bit installer; Python 3.7.8 - June 27, 2020. You can interactively create an app project with Run Shell Script action, then paste in your script in its editor, select your shell program (/usr/bin/python), finally save the project. And you have yourself a Mac native app. Automator can also be driven by AppleScript. So you can pipeline this py-2-app conversion process to your build scripts. We focus on Python here, but for a broad overview of Mac coding and the various languages you can choose from, read our complete guide to coding and programming on a Mac. The benefits of Python. Nov 13, 2014 With the py2app package you can compile a Python script and create a portable Mac application. If you’re using windows, you can check py2exe. First of all, we need to install the py2app python package. If you have a virtual environment, activate it now. Dec 26, 2019 An android app is an application developed to operate on the android platform. The official language for Android development is Java (general-purpose programming language) but android python. Feb 04, 2018 In this video we will look at how to build your python application into a standalone app that can be opened outside of python using pyinstaller. This video uses a very basic application as the app.
The following is a step-by-step guide for beginners interested in learning Python using Windows 10.
Set up your development environment
For beginners who are new to Python, we recommend you install Python from the Microsoft Store. Installing via the Microsoft Store uses the basic Python3 interpreter, but handles set up of your PATH settings for the current user (avoiding the need for admin access), in addition to providing automatic updates. This is especially helpful if you are in an educational environment or a part of an organization that restricts permissions or administrative access on your machine.
If you are using Python on Windows for web development, we recommend a different set up for your development environment. Rather than installing directly on Windows, we recommend installing and using Python via the Windows Subsystem for Linux. For help, see: Get started using Python for web development on Windows. If you're interested in automating common tasks on your operating system, see our guide: Get started using Python on Windows for scripting and automation. For some advanced scenarios (like needing to access/modify Python's installed files, make copies of binaries, or use Python DLLs directly), you may want to consider downloading a specific Python release directly from python.org or consider installing an alternative, such as Anaconda, Jython, PyPy, WinPython, IronPython, etc. We only recommend this if you are a more advanced Python programmer with a specific reason for choosing an alternative implementation.
Install Python
To install Python using the Microsoft Store:
- Go to your Start menu (lower left Windows icon), type 'Microsoft Store', select the link to open the store.
- Once the store is open, select Search from the upper-right menu and enter 'Python'. Open 'Python 3.7' from the results under Apps. Select Get.
- Once Python has completed the downloading and installation process, open Windows PowerShell using the Start menu (lower left Windows icon). Once PowerShell is open, enter
Python --version
to confirm that Python3 has installed on your machine. - The Microsoft Store installation of Python includes pip, the standard package manager. Pip allows you to install and manage additional packages that are not part of the Python standard library. To confirm that you also have pip available to install and manage packages, enter
pip --version
.
Install Visual Studio Code
By using VS Code as your text editor / integrated development environment (IDE), you can take advantage of IntelliSense (a code completion aid), Linting (helps avoid making errors in your code), Debug support (helps you find errors in your code after you run it), Code snippets (templates for small reusable code blocks), and Unit testing (testing your code's interface with different types of input).
VS Code also contains a built-in terminal that enables you to open a Python command line with Windows Command prompt, PowerShell, or whatever you prefer, establishing a seamless workflow between your code editor and command line.
- To install VS Code, download VS Code for Windows: https://code.visualstudio.com.
- Once VS Code has been installed, you must also install the Python extension. To install the Python extension, you can select the VS Code Marketplace link or open VS Code and search for Python in the extensions menu (Ctrl+Shift+X).
- Python is an interpreted language, and in order to run Python code, you must tell VS Code which interpreter to use. We recommend sticking with Python 3.7 unless you have a specific reason for choosing something different. Once you've installed the Python extension, select a Python 3 interpreter by opening the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P), start typing the command Python: Select Interpreter to search, then select the command. You can also use the Select Python Environment option on the bottom Status Bar if available (it may already show a selected interpreter). The command presents a list of available interpreters that VS Code can find automatically, including virtual environments. If you don't see the desired interpreter, see Configuring Python environments.
- To open the terminal in VS Code, select View > Terminal, or alternatively use the shortcut Ctrl+` (using the backtick character). The default terminal is PowerShell.
- Inside your VS Code terminal, open Python by simply entering the command:
python
- Try the Python interpreter out by entering:
print('Hello World')
. Python will return your statement 'Hello World'.
Install Git (optional)
If you plan to collaborate with others on your Python code, or host your project on an open-source site (like GitHub), VS Code supports version control with Git. The Source Control tab in VS Code tracks all of your changes and has common Git commands (add, commit, push, pull) built right into the UI. You first need to install Git to power the Source Control panel.
- Download and install Git for Windows from the git-scm website.
- An Install Wizard is included that will ask you a series of questions about settings for your Git installation. We recommend using all of the default settings, unless you have a specific reason for changing something.
- If you've never worked with Git before, GitHub Guides can help you get started.
Hello World tutorial for some Python basics
Python, according to its creator Guido van Rossum, is a “high-level programming language, and its core design philosophy is all about code readability and a syntax which allows programmers to express concepts in a few lines of code.”
Python is an interpreted language. In contrast to compiled languages, in which the code you write needs to be translated into machine code in order to be run by your computer's processor, Python code is passed straight to an interpreter and run directly. You just type in your code and run it. Let's try it!
- With your PowerShell command line open, enter
python
to run the Python 3 interpreter. (Some instructions prefer to use the commandpy
orpython3
, these should also work). You will know that you're successful because a >>> prompt with three greater-than symbols will display. - There are several built-in methods that allow you to make modifications to strings in Python. Create a variable, with:
variable = 'Hello World!'
. Press Enter for a new line. - Print your variable with:
print(variable)
. This will display the text 'Hello World!'. - Find out the length, how many characters are used, of your string variable with:
len(variable)
. This will display that there are 12 characters used. (Note that the blank space it counted as a character in the total length.) - Convert your string variable to upper-case letters:
variable.upper()
. Now convert your string variable to lower-case letters:variable.lower()
. - Count how many times the letter 'l' is used in your string variable:
variable.count('l')
. - Search for a specific character in your string variable, let's find the exclamation point, with:
variable.find('!')
. This will display that the exclamation point is found in the 11th position character of the string. - Replace the exclamation point with a question mark:
variable.replace('!', '?')
. - To exit Python, you can enter
exit()
,quit()
, or select Ctrl-Z.
Hope you had fun using some of Python's built-in string modification methods. Now try creating a Python program file and running it with VS Code.
Hello World tutorial for using Python with VS Code
The VS Code team has put together a great Getting Started with Python tutorial walking through how to create a Hello World program with Python, run the program file, configure and run the debugger, and install packages like matplotlib and numpy to create a graphical plot inside a virtual environment.
- Open PowerShell and create an empty folder called 'hello', navigate into this folder, and open it in VS Code:
- Once VS Code opens, displaying your new hello folder in the left-side Explorer window, open a command line window in the bottom panel of VS Code by pressing Ctrl+` (using the backtick character) or selecting View > Terminal. By starting VS Code in a folder, that folder becomes your 'workspace'. VS Code stores settings that are specific to that workspace in .vscode/settings.json, which are separate from user settings that are stored globally.
- Continue the tutorial in the VS Code docs: Create a Python Hello World source code file.
Create a simple game with Pygame
Pygame is a popular Python package for writing games - encouraging students to learn programming while creating something fun. Pygame displays graphics in a new window, and so it will not work under the command-line-only approach of WSL. However, if you installed Python via the Microsoft Store as detailed in this tutorial, it will work fine.
- Once you have Python installed, install pygame from the command line (or the terminal from within VS Code) by typing
python -m pip install -U pygame --user
. - Test the installation by running a sample game :
python -m pygame.examples.aliens
- All being well, the game will open a window. Close the window when you are done playing.
Here's how to start writing your own game.
- Open PowerShell (or Windows Command Prompt) and create an empty folder called 'bounce'. Navigate to this folder and create a file named 'bounce.py'. Open the folder in VS Code:
- Using VS Code, enter the following Python code (or copy and paste it):
- Save it as:
bounce.py
. - From the PowerShell terminal, run it by entering:
python bounce.py
.
Try adjusting some of the numbers to see what effect they have on your bouncing ball.
Read more about writing games with pygame at pygame.org.
Resources for continued learning
We recommend the following resources to support you in continuing to learn about Python development on Windows.
Online courses for learning Python
- Introduction to Python on Microsoft Learn: Try the interactive Microsoft Learn platform and earn experience points for completing this module covering the basics on how to write basic Python code, declare variables, and work with console input and output. The interactive sandbox environment makes this a great place to start for folks who don't have their Python development environment set up yet.
- Python on Pluralsight: 8 Courses, 29 Hours: The Python learning path on Pluralsight offers online courses covering a variety of topics related to Python, including a tool to measure your skill and find your gaps.
- LearnPython.org Tutorials: Get started on learning Python without needing to install or set anything up with these free interactive Python tutorials from the folks at DataCamp.
- The Python.org Tutorials: Introduces the reader informally to the basic concepts and features of the Python language and system.
- Learning Python on Lynda.com: A basic introduction to Python.
Working with Python in VS Code
- Editing Python in VS Code: Learn more about how to take advantage of VS Code's autocomplete and IntelliSense support for Python, including how to customize their behavior... or just turn them off.
- Linting Python: Linting is the process of running a program that will analyse code for potential errors. Learn about the different forms of linting support VS Code provides for Python and how to set it up.
- Debugging Python: Debugging is the process of identifying and removing errors from a computer program. This article covers how to initialize and configure debugging for Python with VS Code, how to set and validate breakpoints, attach a local script, perform debugging for different app types or on a remote computer, and some basic troubleshooting.
- Unit testing Python: Covers some background explaining what unit testing means, an example walkthrough, enabling a test framework, creating and running your tests, debugging tests, and test configuration settings.
Generate a Python Package and Build a Python Application
Supported platform: Windows®, Linux®, Mac
This example shows how to use the Library Compiler app to create a Python® package that uses a MATLAB® function. You can then pass the generated package to the developer who is responsible for integrating it into an application. This example also shows how to call the Python package from a Python application. The target system does not require a licensed copy of MATLAB.
Create Function in MATLAB
In MATLAB, examine the MATLAB code that you want packaged. For this example, write a function
makesqr.m
as follows:At the MATLAB command prompt, enter
makesqr(5)
.The output is:
Create Python Application Using Library Compiler App
- On the MATLAB Apps tab, on the far right of the Apps section, click the arrow. In Application Deployment, click Library Compiler.Alternatively, you can open the Library Compiler app from the MATLAB command prompt by entering:
- In the Type section of the toolstrip, click Python Package.In the MATLAB Compiler project window, specify the files of the MATLAB application that you want to deploy.
- In the Exported Functions section of the toolstrip, click .
- In the Add Files window, browse to the example folder, and select the function you want to package. Click .
The function is added to the list of exported function files. Repeat this step to package multiple files in the same application.For this example, select themakesqr.m
file that you wrote earlier. - In the Packaging Options section of the toolstrip, decide whether to include the MATLAB Runtime installer in the generated application by selecting one of the options:
- Runtime downloaded from web — Generate an installer that downloads the MATLAB Runtime and installs it along with the deployed MATLAB application. You can specify the filename of the installer.
- Runtime included in package — Generate an application that includes the MATLAB Runtime installer. You can specify the filename of the installer.
Note
The first time you select this option, you are prompted to download the MATLAB Runtime installer or obtain a CD if you do not have Internet access.
Specify Package Settings
- The Library Name field is automatically populated with
makesqr
as the name of the package. Rename it asMagicSquarePkg
. For more information on naming requirements for the Python package, see Import Compiled Python Packages. - Add MATLAB files to generate the sample Python driver files. Although Python driver files are not necessary to create packages, they are used to demonstrate how to Install and Run MATLAB Generated Python Application.In the Samples section, select Create New Sample, and click
makesqr.m
. A MATLAB file opens for you to edit. Define the input variables as necessary for your application, save the file, and return to the Library Compiler app. For more information and limitations, see Sample Driver File Creation.
Customize the Application and Its Appearance
You can customize the installer, customize your application, and add more information about the application as follows:
- Library information — Information about the deployed application. You can also customize the appearance of the application by changing the application icon and splash screen. The generated installer uses this information to populate the installed application metadata. See Customize the Installer.
- Additional installer options — Default installation path for the generated installer and custom logo selection. See Change the Installation Path.
- Files required for your library to run — Additional files required by the generated application to run. These files are included in the generated application installer. See Manage Required Files in Compiler Project.
- Files installed for your end user — Files that are installed with your application. These files include:
- Generated
readme.txt
- Generated executable for the target platform
See Specify Files to Install with Application
Package the Application
- To generate the packaged application, click .In the Save Project dialog box, specify the location to save the project.
- In the Package dialog box, verify that Open output folder when process completes is selected.When the packaging process is complete, examine the generated output.
- Three folders are generated in the target folder location:
for_redistribution
,for_redistribution_files_only
, andfor_testing
.For more information about the files generated in these folders, see Files Generated After Packaging MATLAB Functions. PackagingLog.txt
— Log file generated by MATLAB Compiler™.
Python Compile To App Mac Pro
Install and Run MATLAB Generated Python Application
After creating your Python packages, you can call them from a Python application. The Python application that you create uses the sample Python driver code generated during packaging. The Python driver code calls the Python packages, and it is based on the sample MATLAB file you selected in previous setup steps.
These steps are also explained in the
GettingStarted.html
file in for_redistribution_files_only
folder. Before starting, make sure that you Install and Configure the MATLAB Runtime (MATLAB Compiler), and that you have Python installed.How To Use Python Mac
- Copy and paste the generated Python driver code file from the
for_redistribution_files_onlysamples
folder into thefor_redistribution_files_only
folder created when you created the shared library. - Use the system command line to navigate to the
for_redistribution_files_only
folder, where you copied the generated sample Python driver code file. - Install the application using
python
at the system command prompt. - From the system command prompt, run the application. If you used sample MATLAB code in the packaging steps, this application should return the same output as the MATLAB code.
Note
On Mac OS X, you must use themwpython
script. Themwpython
script is located in the
folder.matlabroot
/binmatlabroot
is the location of your MATLAB installation.For example,mwpython makesqrSample1.py
See Also
Python For Mac
deploytool
| libraryCompiler
| mcc
| mwpython