Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Prepbytes
Python is a high-level programming language that is widely used in many different fields such as web development, data analysis, machine learning, and more. If you are new to programming or just starting to learn Python, you may be wondering how to run Python programs. Here we will discuss different ways of how to run Python programs.
How to Run Python Program in Interactive Mode?
Interactive mode is a useful way to run Python programs when you want to test small pieces of code or experiment with different functions. To run a Python program in interactive mode, you need to follow these steps:
-
Step 1: Open your terminal or command prompt.
-
Step 2: Type python and press Enter to enter the Python interpreter.
You can see the >>> symbol in the cmd. This shows that you are in the interactive mode of Python.
-
Step 3: Type your Python code directly in the interpreter and press Enter to execute each line. For example,
As you can see that we get the output of the statement as soon as we press enter.
-
Step 4: To exit the interpreter, type exit() and press Enter.
Here by typing the exit() statement, we come out of the Python interpreter.
How to Run Python Program using Python Command Line?
Using the Python command line is a simple and efficient way to run Python programs. To run a Python program using the Python command line, you need to follow these steps:
-
Step 1: First write your Python program in “Notepad” and save it with the program.py name.
Note: Python programs are always saved with a .py extension.
-
Step 2: Open your terminal or command prompt and Navigate to the directory where your Python file is located using the cd command.
Now we are in the directory where our program.py file is saved.
-
Step 3: Now type py program.py in the command prompt to run the python program and press enter.
As soon as we press enter, the file gets executed and we can see the output of the program on the screen.
How to Run Python Program on Text Editor?
Text editors are simple software applications that allow you to create and edit text files. The most popular Text Editor is Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code. Follow these steps to run your Python program on the VS Code.
-
Step 1: Open VS Code and install the Python extension from the extensions section.
-
Step 2: Create a new file with the extension .py and save it.
-
Step 3: Now type your Python program in the file.
-
Step 4: To run this file, double-click on Run Python File in Terminal.
-
Step 5: The output of the Python program will be visible in the Terminal present in the VS Code.
How to Run Python Program on IDLE?
IDLE is an Integrated Development and Learning Environment that comes bundled with Python. IDLE provides a comprehensive development environment for writing, debugging, and testing code. To run a Python program on IDLE, you need to follow these steps:
-
Step 1: First open the Python IDLE. The shell is the default mode of operation of IDLE, so you will see this window on your screen.
-
Step 2: We can run the Python scripts in this IDLE and can get output on the screen itself as shown in the image given below.
-
Step 3: Now for running a complete Python program on IDLE, we need to open a new file by clicking on File → New File.
-
Step 4: Now code your Python program in the “New File” that opens after the last step.
-
Step 5: Save your file. Here we have save it by the name file.py.
-
Step 6: To run click on RUN → Run Module.
-
Step 7: The output will be shown in the IDLE Shell.
How to Run Python Program on IDE (PyCharm)?
PyCharm is a popular IDE for Python that provides a comprehensive development environment for writing, debugging, and testing code. To run a Python program on PyCharm, you need to follow these steps:
-
Step 1: Open PyCharm, create a new project and create a new Python File by: New→ Python File.
-
Step 2: Specify the name of the Python file.
-
Step 3: Code your Python program in the window.
-
Step 4: To run your program, right-click on the window and then press Run ‘main’.
-
Step 5: The output will be there in the terminal as shown in the image below.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned how to run Python programs using various tools such as interactive mode, the command line, text editors, and IDEs. Running a Python program is a simple process. The method we choose for running a Python program depends on our personal preferences and the tools we have available.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions related to – how to run Python programs.
Ques 1. Can I run Python programs on Windows?
Ans. Yes, you can run Python programs on Windows by installing Python and using any of the methods mentioned in this article.
Ques 2. Do I need to install Python to run a Python program?
Ans. Yes, you must install Python on your computer to run a Python program. You can download and install Python from the official Python website.
Ques 3. What is the difference between interactive mode and command line mode?
Ans. Interactive mode allows you to execute Python code one line at a time and get immediate feedback, while command line mode allows you to execute an entire Python program simultaneously.
Ques 4. What is the advantage of using an IDE like PyCharm?
Ans. IDEs provide a comprehensive development environment with features like code completion, debugging, and testing, which can help you write and maintain Python code more efficiently.
Ques 5. Can I run Python programs on a Mac or Linux computer?
Ans. Yes, you can run Python programs on Mac and Linux computers by installing Python and using any of the methods mentioned in this article.