Setting up your computer system

• Please ensure that your computer has a good text-editor installed. In case of doubt, install https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
• Please ensure that your PC has activated the option "View | File Name Extensions" in the "File Explorer".

Installation of Python

• On PCs I recommend http://winpython.github.io/ .
  Do NOT install it on the Windows Desktop, and NOT in either the folder "C:\Program Files" or the folder "C:\Program Files (x86)". On my computer, I generate a new folder "C:\Programs", and use that folder for all programs that do not modify the Windows Registry.
• On OSX and Linux the recommended distribution is https://www.anaconda.com/

Don't choose the very latest version - older versions are generally more compatible and better tested.

Installation of an IDE

There are a number of very good Integrated Development Environments (IDEs):

• Wing
• PyCharm
• Spyder
• VS Code
• neovim
• Visual Studio
• Eclipse

My preferred IDE is clearly WingPro .

Personalize your Python

To ensure a smooth workflow, I stronlgy recommend that you optimize your work environment. You find good descriptions for that in my book "Hands-on Signal Analysis with Python" , in the two chapters

• 2.1.2. Installation of Python
• 2.3.3. Personalizing IPython/Jupyter

Check if your system is properly configured

• Open a "command terminal"/"command console" by typing "WIN+R | cmd | OK".
• In this terminal enter the command python. If your system is properly configured, Python should start up in your terminal. You can exit it by typing exit.
• If Python does NOT start, please re-read section "2.1.2 Installation of Python | Under Windows" in "Hands-on Signal Analysis with Python".
• If your system has been configured properly, you should be able to immediately work with Python after starting an IPython interpreter. For example, you can start a QtConsole from your terminal, with the command jupyter qtconsole. You can test your configuration by typing the command plt.plot(np.sin(np.arange(0, 10, 0.1))). This should plot a sine-wave in your QtConsole.
• In your IDE, check if Python starts properly. In WingPro, you can check this under the tab "Python Shell".

Packages

When that is done, you can focus on your "Python packages". Start a command terminal (NOT Python!), and try out the following commands:

• "pip list" : shows all installed packages
• "pip show numpy" : shows the details of your NumPy installation
• "pip install PySimpleGui" : installs a package that is very useful for the generation of GUIs (graphical user interfaces)
• "where python" : shows you where the Python executable is located on your computer