.. _chapter-setup:

Setting Up Your System
======================

.. image:: computer_screen_checkbox.svg
    :width: 35%
    :class: right-image

Before you begin programming, we need to install a few things.
Using a school computer? Yay! You may have these already installed.
Still, read through this part, as you might need to set up your own
system in the future.

Getting a system set up and ready to program can be a bit frustrating.
**Don't give up.** Once you've got a system set up for programming you
don't need to think about it again. You can concentrate on the programming part.
It is normal to get stuck during setup, so don't hesitate to reach out and get help.

Setup the Programming Environment
---------------------------------

.. image:: laptop.svg
    :width: 220px
    :class: right-image

In this chapter we'll show you how to:

* Install an "IDE" to type in your programs. (We'll use a program called PyCharm_.
  You can use the community edition for free, or if you have an email
  address that ends in ``.edu`` get can get a free `student license`_ for
  the professional version.)
* Install the Python_ programming language.
* A minor configuration tweak so we can see file extensions.

In the next chapter we'll cover:

* A version control system to track and turn in your work. (Git_)
* Setup with the Arcade_ code library and a template project.

.. _Git: https://git-scm.com/downloads

Let's go through these items in detail.

.. _Python: https://www.python.org/
.. _Arcade: http://arcade.academy/
.. _PyCharm: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/
.. _GitHub: https://github.com/
.. _installing-pycharm:

Installing an IDE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.. image:: pycharm_logo.png
    :width: 20%
    :class: right-image

We need an **editor**. Python comes with an editor called IDLE, but it is
awful and not worth using. We'll use an editor called **PyCharm**.

PyCharm is a powerful program that lets you do more than just edit the
program, it also includes a large set of tools that programmers need. This
type of environment is called an **Integrated Development Environment**, or **IDE**
for short.

Download and install PyCharm_.
You can use their community edition for free. We won't use the
features in the professional edition. If you decide to
pick the professional edition anyway,
you'll need a license to use it.
But licenses are free for educational use!
If you have an e-mail that ends in ``.edu`` you can
ask for a `student license`_. It can be used on a school computer, or on your own
computer.

.. _student license: https://www.jetbrains.com/student/

.. _installing-python:

Installing Python
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.. image:: python-logo.svg
    :width: 300px
    :class: right-image

We will be using the "Python_" computer programming language.
(We'll learn more about what a computer language is
in the :ref:`what-is-a-programming-language` chapter.
Also, the creator of Python was a fan of `Monty Python`_, hence the name.)

.. _Monty Python: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python

| Download Python from the official Python website:
| https://www.python.org/downloads/

When installing Python, make sure to add Python to the path (1) before clicking the Install
button (2).

.. image:: setup_windows_1.png
    :width: 450px

After that, you can just close the dialog. There's no need to increase the path length,
although it doesn't hurt anything if you do.

.. image:: setup_windows_5.png
    :width: 450px

Viewing File Extensions
-----------------------

It is a great idea to change your windows configuration to show file extensions.
A file usually has a name like Book ``report.docx`` where the ``.docx`` tells the
computer it is a Microsoft Word compatible document. By default Windows
hides the ``.docx`` extension if there is a program installed to handle it.
If you are programming, this hiding part of the file name can be annoying.

For Windows 8 and 10, bring up a file explorer by hitting the Windows-E key.
Then click the "view" tab and make sure "File name extensions" has been checked.

.. image:: win_10.png
    :width: 650px

We'll need to see the full filename for our programs. Our Python language
programs will end in ``.py`` and we need to see the extensions of the image
and sound files we'll load into our games.

Review
------

Review Questions
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Chapter 2

#. What is the generic name of an editor that integrates a lot of tools for a
   developer to use when writing programs? (I'm not looking for a brand-name
   like PyCharm here.)
#. What does a computer use to tell the type of a file?
   (Word, Excel, image, etc.)
#. All Python source code file names should end with what extension?