- Download VSC from https://code.visualstudio.com/

- Run the installer

- Start "Visual Studio Code" (VSC), and install the following extensions
  (Ctrl + Shift + X):
  > Python: includes Pylance, Python Debugger, Python Environments  
  > Python Extension Pack
  > Python Debugger
  > Python Snippets 3
  > Pylance
  > Black Formatter
  > Jupyter
  > Docs View
 

- In order to use the local Python environment, go through the following
  steps:
  > Open the VSC Settings (Ctrl + ,)
  > Search for "Python: Python Locator"
  > Change from "native" to "js"
  > Re-start VS Code
  Then you should be able to execute your .PY- and your .IPYNB-files

  If you cannot run your code, type Ctrl + Shift + P, and select
  "Python: Select Interpreter". Then select the Python interpreter you want to
  use.

- In order to activate the formatting package "Black" for all my Python files,
  and to automatically apply the formatting on save, go through the following
  steps:
  > View -> Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P)
  > Search for "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)"
  > Adjust your setting.json file. For comparison, mine looks as follows:

    {
    "workbench.colorTheme": "Quiet Light",
    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "C:\\Programs\\WPy64-31241\\python-3.12.4.amd64\\python.exe",
    "security.workspace.trust.untrustedFiles": "open",
    "python.locator": "js",
    "[python]": {
        "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.black-formatter",
        "editor.formatOnSave": true
      }
}

- In order to add Snippets, go through the following steps:
  > View -> Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P)
  > Search for "Snippets: Configure Snippets"
  > Add a new file [yourName]-snippets, and add the following content:
  >
  "Python header": {
	 	"scope": "",
		"prefix": "py_head",
		"body": [ "\"\"\" ${1:header} \"\"\""
		    	  ""
				  "# author: Thomas Haslwanter"
				  "# date: $CURRENT_YEAR-$CURRENT_MONTH-$CURRENT_DATE"
				  ""
				  "# Import standard packages"
				  "import numpy as np"
				  "import matplotlib.pyplot as plt"
				  "import pandas as pd"
				  "from scipy import signal"
				  ""
				  "if __name__ == '__main__':"
				  "  ${0:main part of your code}"
	   	],
	   	"description": "Header for Python scripts"
	   }


- In order to get into "Interactive Mode", you have to open a .py file, and
  then click on "Run Cell" above a function or code block. Code blocks are
  indicated with "# %%" at the beginning of a line.  This will open a newtab
  "Interactive", where you can see the results of your code.