How to Create Python Programs

Your programs will be plain-text files, usually one file per assignment question. I suggest that you make one folder per assignment. You will need to know how to get a text editor, and how to see the file types.

Getting a text editor

Run a text editor to create your files. Don't use a program like Microsoft Word, unless you know how to save plain-text files. Instead, try these text editors:

On a Windows machine, install Notepad++.
Once you install it, make sure to change the settings (pull down the Settings menu, choose Preferences..., and then Tab settings), and select Replace by space.
On a Mac, install Text Wrangler.
Once you install it, make sure to change the preferences (pull down the TextWrangled menu and choose Preferences...), and select "Auto-expand tabs". You must then quit and restart textwrangler.

Strangely enough, if you used textwrangler to create a text file with tabs in it, the above fix won't work. You have to click the T almost at the top of the screen, and choose "auto-expand tabs" there too. Otherwise the program remembers your original tab-expansion setting, for that particular file!

Seeing file types

All of your programs must be in files of type .py . This means that each file name must end with .py . Here is how you can verify that you have created such a file:

On an MS Windows machine, tell Windows Explorer to show you the file extensions, as follows:
1. Open the Control Panel
2. Open Folder Options
3. Click the View tab
4. Un-check Hide extensions for known file types
On a Mac, tell the Finder to show file extensions, as follows:
1. Open the Finder
2. Pull down the Finder menu, and choose Preferences
3. Click the Advanced tab
4. Check the Show all filename extensions box