Getting started
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Description
Python is an open source coding language that is intuitive to write, easy to debug, fast enough for most applications. Many science oriented programs (like RELION or AMBER) are written in Python for these reasons. As it is open source, it is constantly being developed and new versions are released regularly. These new releases sometimes break existing software, so make sure to use the correct version of Python for the application you are trying to run.
Command line Python
The quickest why to use Python is through the command line. Most new systems already have the newest Python already installed, so opening a terminal on a Linux/Mac and typing python should start the Python interface. On a Windows machine opening the command prompt and typing python will either open the Python interface or prompt you to install it. As we don’t want to modify our own systems, we will ignore this option for now.
IDEs
Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like IDLE or PyCharm allow users to easily run code and install packages using a graphical interface. Many people find these useful, feel free to install one and try them out.
Sandbox
For simpliccity, we will learn how to use Python through our sandbox environment: https://coding.csel.io/hub/login. We will first explore Python through the terminal, then using an IDE (the console option), and finally in a notebook (ipykernel option).