Skip to main content

Installation

Installing

Install Anaconda

  1. Download the Anaconda Python/R Distribution 2019.07 (or later).
  2. When the download is complete, install into your user account.

Install Visual Studio Code and the Python extension

  1. Download VS Code and install

  2. Install the Python extension by clicking on Extensions and searching for "Python"

  3. Open the mfe-introduction folder created in the previous step

  4. Create a file called second.py and enter

    #%%

print("Python may be harder to learn than other languages since")
print("there is rarely a single approach to completing a task.")

  5. Click on Run Cell

Note the #%% makes it a magic cell

Install Pycharm Professional

  1. Download PyCharm Professional and install using the 30-day trial. You can get a free copy using your academic email address if you want to continue after the first 30 days.

  2. Open PyCharm, and create a new project called mfe-introduction

  3. Open File > Setting and select Python Interpreter. Select the Anaconda interpreter if it is not already selected.

  4. Create a new python file called first.py and enter

    print("Python has a steeper curve than MATLAB but more long-run upside")

  5. Right-click on this file, and select "Run".