How to running Python Locally
Categories: Python
How to running Python Locally
Note that many of the Python-based exercises given in the problem sets do not need the data stored on climate, or the special Python extension modules written for this course. If you have a computer of your own, you can download your own copy of Python from the web site python.org. Implementations are available for Macs, Linux and Windows PC’s. The MacPython implementation, available for both OS9
and OSX Macs provides an excellent integrated development environment that in some ways is superior to IDLE. You can use your own stand-alone machine for any of the exercises that need only straight Python programming using the standard modules. You can also use your own machine for any exercises involving reading and writing of text data files, if you first download any needed data from climate to
your own machine. Also, any Python extension modules that are written as ordinary human-readable Python scripts (e.g. phys.py ) can be just downloaded and put in your python directory, regardless of what kind of machine you are using. However, compiled extension modules, with names like veclib.so need to be compatible with your specific hardware and Python implementation. In the rest of this workbook, when we say ”Start up the Python interpreter,” the choice is up to you whether you use the simple command line interpreter or idle, or perhaps some other integrated Python development environment you might have (e.g. MacPython). For results that produce graphics, and for the use of idle, you must be connected to Python in a way that can display graphics on your screen (e.g. via an xterm). You won’t be reminded of this explicitly in the text. Exercises that don’t produce graphics can be done over any kind of link. ”Write and run” a script could mean that you enter it using your favorite editor and run it from the command line, or it could mean using idle.