Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
If you get stuck on a computing problem, you might ind it helpful to use Scratch
to help you visualise what is happening.
Getting Set Up for Python
he Raspbian operating system includes the programming environment called Python
IDLE. his section introduces you to the programming language and environment
used to create Python iles and execute them.
Python Programming Language
he Raspberry Pi operating system Raspbian comes with a text-based computer pro-
gramming language, Python, already installed. he
Pi
in Raspberry Pi is a nod towards
this programming language, as it is considered an easy language to pick up and is used
by coders all over the world.
To work with Python, you use the IDLE programming environment, or
integrated
development environment
(
IDE
).
An
IDE
or
integrated development environment
, also referred to as a
programming environment,
is a software application used to write computer code
in a particular language, for example Python. The application has the capability to
create and edit code as well as run or execute the code. Many IDEs also provide
features to help programmers check for errors in their programs and
debug
or
resolve the errors.
The IDLE Environment
In order to create programs on the Raspberry Pi using Python, you use the Python
programming environment, which is called IDLE. Notice that there are two versions of
IDLE on the desktop and in the menu system: IDLE and IDLE 3 (see Figure 5-1). he
projects in this topic require IDLE 3, which you will remember you used in Adventure
4. Just like the English language, Python has evolved through diferent versions and
some of the commands you will learn in this adventure will not work in older versions
of IDLE.
