How can I run Python code on a windows system?

Question

I am used to using PHP and it is easy to set up, I can just run an exe package like Xampp and have apache and PHP running in 5 minutes on my windows system. Is there something similar to Python?

Answer 1

Unlike PHP, Python's primary purpose is a general-purpose tool for running on the desktop/server, not necessarily as a web application. It has bindings to many powerful GUI toolkits (Qt and wx are two examples of free and popular toolkits that work great on Windows), and so on. Therefore you just download it (either from python.org or from activestate), install it, and run it. That's it.

That said, Python is actually great for web apps too. See the Django tutorial for running a simple web-app on your PC in just a few minutes. Python actually comes with a simple web-server built-in, and it supports SQLite out of the box as well, so you can have a fully functional DB-backed web-application running without actually installing anything else. Naturally, if you need to use tools like MySQL and Apache, these are easy to connect to Python on the desktop too. Just start with that Django tutorial and everything will be clear.

Answer 2

Yes, you can find python from http://python.org

and If you like to make executable files from .py source file you may use py2exe

Answer 3

You don't say in your question what you are going to use Python for, so most answers above are completely correct in pointing out that you install Python by downloading it from Python.org. But you seem to expect more. Is it correct to assume you are going to use it to do web development?

In that case, prepare for a shock, because Python doesn't do things like PHP does at all. You want to use a web framework. There are loads of them for Python. Which on to use depends both on what you are going to do, and your personal taste.

The only "Download as one file and install to run" web system I know of that's based on Python is Plone. And Plone is great, but it's not a webframework, it's a content management system. But hey, maybe that's what you want? :-)

The other frameworks are usually easy to install as well.

(In the long run: If you are going to do web development, you'll be happier with something Unix based. Just saying.)

Answer 4

Download python installer and run python.

Answer 5

Nope no easy way out for you yet, Python is obviously not popular enough in Web dev. You should install mod_python and django. There are some nice step here.

Answer 6

Here's my opinionated answer:

1. Download and install ActivePython

2. Open Command Prompt and type pypm install django

3. Follow the Django tutorial

Note that Django does not necessarily require a webserver like Apache, as it already includes one for development purposes. Nor do you necessarily have to install MySQL as Python already includes SQLite which is supported by Django.