COMP 200 Resources

Resources Home

In this resource pages you will find many useful guides, reference materials and "tips & traps" to help you with your work!  It will be very worth your while to browse through the materials here and familiarize yourself with what is available.  Check back often as new materials are constantly being added!

Quick Links

• Getting Started  -- make sure your system is ready for the class
• Installations  -- installation instructions for the software used in the class.
  • Configure your editor to replace tabs with spaces
• How to's -- quick tips for common tasks
• Enthought (EPD) Resources  -- information about Enthought Python Distribution  (PyLab)
• Python Resources -- information about the Python programming language
  • Debugging Guide -- help with common errors
  • Python Language Reference— The official reference manual.

  • Python Standard Library -- Official reference for the functions included with Python

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Getting Started

The first things you need to do is to make sure you know your operating system version and type and whether or not Python and Enthought are already installed and are of the correct versions.

1. Check your operating system version and type

One of the first things you must learn about your computer is which version of the operating system you are running.    This is critical information needed to select the proper software to install.   See below to find your operating system and our recommendations on which type of software you should install on it:

• Windows: You need to determine whether you have a 32-bit or a 64-bit operating system. To tell which one you have, follow Microsoft’s instructions. You are safe downloading the 32-bit version, but you’ll get a speed boost if you can use the 64-bit version.

• Mac: We recommend using the 32-bit version of Python or EPD on Mac OSX because the 64-bit version does not have wxPython (which might be used later in the term).

• Linux: There are three sets of binaries available: (1) SunOS, (2) Redhat, Ubuntu, OpenSuSE (rh5), (3) older versions of Redhat 3 and 4 (rh3). If you have a 64-bit Linux system, use the 64-bit versions of these binaries.

2. Is Enthought already installed? 

Check to see if you have EPD installed on your machine.

• Mac: check for the presence of the Enthought folder in Applications.
• Windows: check if your Start menu for the presence of Enthought (All Programs/Enthought).

If you don't have Enthought installed, please go to its Installation page.

3. Do you have the right version of Python? 

   If Python is already installed, you can run the IDLE program to see what version you have: 

   1. See instructions on how to start IDLE in the How-To's page.)

   2. Once IDLE starts, you will get a Python Shell window, with the Python version number on the top left corner of the window. . If it is the version indicated below, you're good to go!   If not, you should install the current version of Enthought.

   Current version of Python used with EPD:   Python version 2.7.2

4. Install Python enhancements

   To make your Python development experience more efficient and more pleasant, it is recommended that you also install the following enhancements:

   • A better Python editor than IDLE
   • Integrate Python with your editor

 

 

 

Thanks to Dr. Devika Subramanian for much of these instructions!