Question

Im brand new to programming. What program should I download to edit python and where can I get it?

Answer 1

It depends on your operating system. You can edit python scripts with a text editor.

Answer 2

I have a mac and Im just trying to download the most basic editor, preferably one that looks like the one in the videos

Answer 3

what videos?

Answer 4

you could just open terminal and do open -t <filename>

Answer 5

The lecture videos for this MIT intro to comp sci

Answer 6

well, I don't know what editor they used

Answer 7

ok. thanks for the assist. I will check other threads

Answer 8

its called IDEL and one can download it from the Python website

Answer 9

why learn Python? I'd recommend learning Java or C++

Answer 10

^ Seriously lol.Well do a structured programming language like C! :)

Answer 11

Python is actually a very practical language to start with. It has aspects of many types of programming. It is used by Google, and many other major companies. There are a few quality, free, university produced classes based in Python. So you can learn the rigor needed pretty easily by using it.

I am not saying others don't have this too. There are comp sci classes for Java too that you can get free videos from. By finding a language that has rigorous materials associated with it you can avoid developing bad habits as a programmer.

Answer 12

Take CS50x at edx.

Answer 13

Benraw11, Macs come with IDLE. It's hidden, but it is there. I think, and I keep forgetting to try, that 10.9.x has and idle terminal command. You can search in the /System folder on other versions for it and just make a little BASH script as a launcher. Here's mine from my 10.5.8 machine:

#!/bin/bash

/usr/bin/python /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/idlelib/idle.py &

exit 0

Answer 14

if you are just trying with python, use trypython.org

Answer 15

I think you are talking about the text editor. Open a new file, save it as 'Program1.py' or whatever you'd like to call it, and that new file is your text editor.

Answer 16

You can download Python from this website: https://www.python.org/download/releases/2.5.4/

Answer 17

Go to the MIT 6.00SC OCW start page and click on the category SOFTWARE, step by step instruction, no need to go anywhere else.
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-00sc-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-spring-2011/
...and why do people keep commenting on whether or not to learn python. It is a part of the course that this question has been asked under.