In order to do the Seton Computer Programming course, you need some software on your computer. Here's how to install it:

1) The quick and simple way for Windows users

We have put together a ZIP file with all the software you need in one place. Simply unzip this file onto your hard drive—we recommend putting into c:\pythonseton . Then, from the directory with the unzipped files, double click on the item that says: double click this to start Python.bat

Click here to download the ZIP file.

The above directions should work for anyone using Windows 7 or later.

2) Alternative installation for more advanced Windows users, and information for Mac and Linux users

Checking for and/or installing Python

The Python interpreter is required to be installed in order to run Python programs. Because Python is such a popular programming language, it is very possible that the Python interpreter is already installed on your computer.

For Windows computers, this is how to check if Python is installed:

– if you have a textbox at the bottom left of your screen that says “Type here to search” then type Python in that box

– if there is no “Type here to search” prompt (Windows 7 or below) then click on the Windows icon at the bottom left of your screen. In the popup box, type Python in the textbox that says “Search programs and files”.

If Python is installed you'll see something like this:

The image above shows a Python version of 3.10. If you have any version at or above 3.00 then you do not need to install Python to do the course. If your system doesn't show any version of Python or if the version is below 3.00 then you will need to install Python.

You can download versions of Python for Windows, macOS, and Linux from this link:
https://www.python.org/downloads/

If you are using Windows 8 or higher then you should be able to use the most current version of Python. If you are using Windows 7 or lower then will need an older version of Python—but remember that you need at least version 3.00 in order to do the course.

Program code used in the course

The book references several different programs. Many of these can be typed into the computer directly, but some of the programs use a graphics library which you will need to complete some assignments. The programs referenced in the Python textbook can be found here:
https://fbeedle.com/pp3rdsolutions/solutionsandcode.zip

Programming Development Tool

Pyscripter is a development tool for Python which is used in the course. Pyscripter is available only for Windows at this time. There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Pyscripter, so you will need the correct one for your computer. Most people with newer computers will want to use the 64-bit version, which should be the first version found at the top of this page: https://sourceforge.net/projects/pyscripter/files

PyCharm is a development tool similar to Pyscripter which is available for macOS and Linux. The course does not directly support PyCharm, but if you are using macOS or Linux to do the course then we suggest you also use PyCharm. PyCharm has a paid version and a free Community version. Be sure to download the free Community version. You can download PyCharm from this page: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/

For best results, please install Python before installing Pyscripter or PyCharm.

Need Help?

If you have problems installing any of these programs, Seton can help you. The best way to get help is to start a chat during regular business hours (Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm) and ask for Python installation help.