Detailed development of the test environment environment for building Python Web locally

Choosing the Right Python Version

When I visited the official Python website and hovered over the "Downloads" section, I noticed two main version links. The question was, what's the difference between them?

From my understanding, Python 2.7.x is more stable, while Python 3.x includes many new features and improvements. However, for new projects, most libraries support both versions. So, either choice is acceptable. That said, there are some key differences between the two versions. You can refer to a summary of important differences between Python 2.7.x and 3.x for more details.

Downloading Python

Since Bluemix doesn’t specify a version, I went with the default, which is Python 2.7.10. My operating system is Windows 7 64-bit, so I downloaded the corresponding 64-bit installer. Click on the image below to go to the download page.

Installing Python

Run the installation package you just downloaded. During the setup, make sure to check the option that adds Python to the system PATH. This is crucial because if you skip this step, you may encounter errors later.

After installation, open the command prompt and type “python” to verify it’s working. If everything is set up correctly, you should see the Python prompt.

Understanding Pip

Pip is a tool used to install and manage Python packages, and it has replaced easy_install. Some sources suggest that pip needs to be installed separately, but in my case, it was already included after installing Python.

Choosing an IDE

An IDE, or Integrated Development Environment, is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to programmers for software development. For Python, an IDE offers tools like code editing, debugging, and project management.

On Windows, you can find several Python-related tools in the Start Menu > Programs > Python 2.7. One of them is IDLE, the default Python IDE. However, the built-in command line interface isn't very user-friendly—especially when it comes to history navigation.

Testing with a Simple Script

To test the environment, I wrote a simple "Hello World" script. Here’s the code:

#! /usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: UTF-8 -*-
print('hello world')

for i in range(1,5):
    for j in range(1,5):
        print(i, j)

Running this script in the command line or IDLE should display the output as expected. This helps confirm that the Python environment is properly configured.