Chapter 1. Getting Started
We will be using the Python computer language to learn programming. To get started, you first need to have Python installed on your computer. After that, you can start learning how to use it. We will begin by giving Python some instructions, and then we will put a few instructions together to make a program.
The first thing you need to do is install Python on the computer you are going to use. It’s possible that Python is already installed on your computer, but for most people, that’s not the case. So let’s look at how to install it.
In the Good Old Days
In the early days of personal computers (PCs), people had it easy. With a lot of the first PCs, a programming language called BASIC was built in to the computer. They didn’t have to install anything. All they did was turn on the computer, and the screen would say “READY”, and they could start typing BASIC programs. Sounds great, huh?
Of course, that “READY” was all you got. No programs, no windows, no menus. If you wanted the computer to do anything, you had to write a program! There were no word processors, media players, web browsers, or any of the things we are used to now. There wasn’t even a Web to browse. There were no fancy graphics and no sound, except the occasional “beep” if you made a mistake!