Installation and Setup.

Installation and Setup.

Zero to hero Python Tutorial.   October 17, 2019

Though there are several ways to install Python for Windows, but for the sake of this article we will use Anaconda. It is undoubtedly the most widely used Python environment at the moment. To download Anaconda, go to this link:

https://www.anaconda.com/download/

Scroll down a bit and you should see the download options. Select, Python 3.6 as shown in the following screenshot:

This will download an Anaconda installer to your computer. Open the installer and you will see the following options:

Follow these steps for installation

• Click the "Next" button. Terms and Condition will appear, you can read if you have enough time but you can click "I Agree" anyways.
• In the next window select the type of installation you want. If you are absolute beginner to Python I would recommend selecting, "Just me" option.
• Next, select the installation folder (Default is best).
• Advance options dialogue box will appear, keep the first option unchecked and the second checked and click "Install". This is shown in the following screenshot.

Now sit back and have some coffee, the installation might take some time.

Once the installation is complete, you will see the message:

lick "Next" and then "Finish" button on the subsequent dialogue box to complete the installation.

Why Learn Python ?

Why Learn Python ?

Zero to hero Python Tutorial.   October 17, 2019

The question arises here that why you should learn Python. 

• There are lots of other programming languages; you might have even learned some of them. Then why Python, what is so special about it? 
• There are various reasons to learn Python, most important of which have been enlisted below.

Easy to Learn

• Python is considered one of the most beginner-friendly languages. The syntax of Python is the simplest of all. 
• You don't have to learn complex variable types, use of brackets for grouping code blocks and so on. 
• Python is built upon the fundamental principle of beginner-friendliness.

Highly In-Demand

• According to a recent survey by indeed.com, Python developers are the second highest paid developers in USA. 
• The huge job potential of Python can be estimated by the fact that in 2014 the average hiring rate for programmers decreased by 5% but Python developers still saw an increase of 8.7%.

Ideal for Web development

• Python is lightning fast when compared with other web development languages such as PHP and ASP.NET. 
• Also, Python has myriad of amazing frameworks such as Django, Flask, and Pylons, which makes web development even simpler. 
• Websites like Instagram, Pinterest and The Guardian are all based on the popular Django framework.

Used Heavily for Machine learning and AI

• Python is the most widely used language for machine learning and artificial intelligence operations. 
• Python libraries such as TensorFlow and scikit-learn makes AI tasks much simpler when compared to MATLAB or R, which previously was the most widely used environment for data science and AI tasks.

Works with Raspberry Pi

• Python is the most popular programming language for the Raspberry Pi, which is a pocket size microcomputer used in a wide range of applications such as robots, gaming consoles, toys. In short, learn Python if you want to build things with the Raspberry Pi.

Corporate Darling

• It would not be an exaggeration if we say that Python is the darling of all all the big corporate companies such as google, yahoo, NASA, Disney, IBM etc. 
• These companies have incorporated Python at the core of many of its applications.

Large Community

• Python has one of the largest programming communities online and it continues to grow. 
• Python has the fifth largest Stack Overflow community, and third largest meet-up community. 
• And most importantly, it is the 4th most used language at GitHub, which means there is tons of existing code to learn from.

What is Python?

What is Python?

Zero to hero Python Tutorial.   October 17, 2019

Reasons to learn Python programming

• Python is a powerful yet easy-to-use programming language developed by Guido van Rossum, first released in 1991. 
• With Python, you can quickly write a small project. But Python also scales up nicely and can be used for mission-critical, commercial applications. 
• Even though Guido van Rossum named Python after the group, the official mascot of the language has become the python snake. (Which is really for the best, since it would be pretty hard to fit six British comedians’ faces on a program icon anyway.) 
• There are a lot of programming languages out there. What’s so great about Python? Let me tell you.

Python Is Easy to Use 

• The major goal of any programming language is to bridge the gap between the programmer’s brain and the computer. 
• Python is also a cross-platform compatible language. So, what does this mean? Well, you can install and run Python on several operating systems. Whether you have a Windows, Mac or Linux, you can rest assure that Python will work on all these operating systems.
• Most of the popular languages you’ve probably heard of, like Visual Basic, C#, and Java, are considered high-level languages, which means that they’re closer to human language than machine language. And they are. 
• But Python, with its clear and simple rules, is even closer to English. Creating Python programs is so straightforward that it’s been called “programming at the speed of thought.” 
• Python’s ease of use translates into productivity for professional programmers. Python programs are shorter and take less time to create than programs in many other popular languages.

Python Is Powerful 

• Python has all the power you’d expect from a modern programming language. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to write programs that employ a GUI, process files, and use a variety of data structures. 
• Python is powerful enough to attract developers from around the world as well as companies such as Google, IBM, Industrial Light + Magic, Microsoft, NASA, Red Hat, Verizon, Xerox, and Yahoo!. 
• Python is also used as a tool by professional game programmers. Electronic Arts, 2K Games, and the Disney Interactive Media Group all publish games that incorporate Python.