When learning Python, having an efficient code editing and debugging environment is crucial. While Python comes with its built-in IDLE editor, it has limited functionality and is not ideal for managing large Python projects. For example, if your project contains multiple Python files, using IDLE can become inconvenient.
1. Why Choose VS Code for Python Development?
VS Code (Visual Studio Code) is one of the most popular code editors available today. Developed by Microsoft, it is free, open-source, lightweight, and highly extensible. It supports various programming languages and has a rich ecosystem of plugins. With VS Code, you can efficiently debug code, manage version control, and enhance your productivity using extensions.
2. Downloading and Installing VS Code on Windows.
Installing VS Code on Windows is straightforward. Follow these steps:
2.1 Download VS Code.
- Open the Edge browser (or any other browser) on your Windows computer.
- Search for “VS Code” on Bing or Google.
- Locate the official Visual Studio Code website ([code.visualstudio.com]).
- Click on the “Download for Windows” button to start downloading the VS Code installer.
2.2 Install VS Code.
- Once the download is complete, double-click the installer file to launch the setup wizard.
- On the license agreement page, select “I accept the agreement“, then click “Next“.
- Choose the installation directory (default is fine), then click “Next“.
- Select the Start Menu folder (default settings work fine), then proceed by clicking “Next“.
- In the additional tasks section:
- – Check “Create a desktop shortcut” so you can easily launch VS Code from the desktop.
- – Check “Add ‘Open with Code’ action to Windows Explorer” so you can right-click a file or folder and open it with VS Code.
- Click “Next”, then “Install”, and wait for the installation to complete.
3. Launching and Setting Up VS Code.
- Once installed, you can launch VS Code immediately or open it later by double-clicking its desktop icon.
- First-Time Launch: When you open VS Code for the first time, you will see a welcome screen with tutorials and extension recommendations.
4. Next Steps: Using VS Code for Python Development.
Now that you have successfully installed and launched VS Code, the next step is to configure it for Python development. This involves installing the Python extension in VS Code, creating Python scripts, and running/debugging them efficiently. In the next guide, we will explore these steps in detail.
5. Demo Video.
You can watch the following demo video by select the subtitle to your preferred subtitle language.