Chapter 3. How You Run Programs

OK, it’s time to start running some code. Now that you have a handle on program execution, you’re finally ready to start some real Python programming. At this point, I’ll assume that you have Python installed on your computer; if not, see the prior chapter and Appendix A for installation and configuration hints.

There are a variety of ways to tell Python to execute the code you type. This chapter discusses all the program launching techniques in common use today. Along the way, you’ll learn how to type code interactively and how to save it in files to be run with system command lines, icon clicks, module imports and reloads, exec calls, menu options in GUIs such as IDLE, and more.

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If you just want to find out how to run a Python program quickly, you may be tempted to read the parts of this chapter that pertain only to your platform and move on to Chapter 4. But don’t skip the material on module imports, as that’s essential to understanding Python’s program architecture. I also encourage you to at least skim the sections on IDLE and other IDEs, so you’ll know what tools are available for when you start developing more sophisticated Python programs.