Python latest version Installation & Setup Guide (2024)

Pythonwas created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991.Itis an open source, interpretedprogramming language, and issimple to use,readable and extensible.You cansplit your program into modules that can be reused in other Python programs. In addition, check out the article onSelf in Python.

Python supports several paradigms, such as object-oriented, functional,andprocedural withthesupport ofalarge comprehensible library.

Python releases for Windows

The latest version of Python is 3.9.0, released on Oct. 5, 2020. It contains many new features and optimization.This is the first version of Python to default to the 64-bit installer on Windows. The installer now also actively disallows installation on Windows 7. Python 3.9 is incompatible with this unsupported version of Windows.

If you go to the page:you will findall releases ofPython.The installation process isthesame,regardless of the version.

ThePythoninstallers for the Windows platform usually include the entire standard library and often also include many additional components. For Unix-like operating systems Python is normally provided as a collection of packages, so it may be necessary to use the packaging tools provided with the operating system to obtain some or all of the optional components.

There area number ofdifferent installers available for Windows, each with certainadvantagesanddisadvantages.

• Web-based installers: This installer is very small in size. It could be installed in a local computer with web-access. The installer will download necessary files and install them.
• Executable installer: Best option for installing Python locally. The installer contains all important componentsand installsthem itself. This is the best option for development of any kind of Python projects.
• The embeddable package: is a minimal package of Python suitable for embedding into a larger application.The embeddable package usesPython as runtime and allows to distribute applications on Windows.

InstallingPython 3.9.0 for Windows

Step 1:Open your browser window andnavigate:

Step 2: Click on button download python 3.9.0to downloadPython Executable Installer forWindows. It will start downloading the installer, which is around 27 MB insize. (If you have a lower version of Windows, please clickDownloads menu button and select a specific version from the downloads page.)

Step 3: Once finished with the download, double click on the downloaded file to run theinstaller.

Step 4: The setup windows show followingdialog window with two installation options:

A. Install Now

B. Customize Installation

A. If you select “Install Now”:

• You will not need to be an administrator.
• This option installs Python in youruser directoryshown in the dialog box underInstall Now option.
• The standard library, test suite, launcher and pip will be installed.
• If selected, the install directory will be added to your PATH.
• If you check the install launcher for all users, it will install python launcher for all the users of your system.

Step 5:The setup process will be shown in aPython 3.9.0(64-bit) Setup pop-up window.

Step 6:After successful completion of installation the following popup windowwill be shownwithSetup was successful message.

This dialog box also gives youtheoption toDisable path length limit.

Clicking the “Disable path length limit” option removes the limitation on the MAX_PATH variable. This change won't breakanything, butwill allow Python to use long path names.

Removing the MAX_PATH Limitation

Windows historically has limited path lengths to 260 characters. This meant that paths longer than this would notresolve,and errors would result;this is termed asMAX_PATH Limitation.In the latest versions of Windows, this limitation can be expanded to approximately 32,000 characters.

You must save the file python-3.9 exe somewhere on yourcomputer incase you need to reinstall,modify thesettings oruninstall python.

B.Customize installation:Thisoption allows you to select the features to install, the installation location and other options or post-install actions. If you select customized installation:

• You may be required to provide administrative credentials or approval
• Python will be installed into the Program Files directory
• The Python Launcher for Windows will be installed into the Windows directory
• The standard library can be pre-compiled to bytecode
• If selected, the install directory will be added to the system PATH

Step 5:Step 1 to 4 would be same, but as you select the customized installation, thefollowing dialog box will appear.

This window providesa list withseveral optional features.Youmayselecttherespective checkboxesas per the requirement. The meaning of each option is as follows:

• Documentation:Will download the documentation, which can help you for future references.
• Pip:Pip is a tool which helpsin installation ofadditional librariesand dependencies which are not available in the standard library. It is also called the package manager of Python. Starting from thePython 3.4 version, the pipcomesbundled with the installation files,butbefore that we usedto install this package manager separately.
• IDLE: stands for Integrated Development Learning Environment.This is CLI bundled with python. Along with IDLE editor, enabling this option will also install the “tkinter” toolkit, which is a python default GUI package.
• Python test suite:This feature will install all the standard libraries for python application testing.
• Pylauncher: enables you to launch pythonCLIthrough programs like command prompt or windows shell.
• For all users:it will install python launcher for all the users of your system

Step 6: After clicking on Next button one more dialog window appears on the screen which helpsdevelopers to check or uncheck additional features.

This page provides 7 advance options:

• Install for all users: It will install python launcher for all the users of your system
• Associate fileswith Python (requires thepylauncer):this option will link all the files Python extensions like .py, .pyd, .pycor .pyowith the python launcher or editor.
• Create shortcutfor installed applications: Itwill create a shortcut of application for you
• Add python to environment variables:PATH is an environment variable in Windows. It basically tells the command-lineargument,what folders to look in when attempting to find a file
• The last three optionstellthe python installation wizard to install all the debug symbols and binaries along with the bytecode of all the standard libraries, which we will be using with our programs.
• Customize installationlocation:We can change the location of python installation directory. The location you will specifywillbeaddedintheenvironmental variable of our windows 10 operating system.

After selecting the required advance options, click on Install button.

After successful completion ofinstallation,the following popup windowwill be shownwithSetup was successful message.

Modifying an install

Once Python has been installed, you can add or remove features through the Programs and Features tool that is part of Windows. Select the Python entry and choose “Uninstall/Change” to open the installer in maintenance mode.

“Modify” allows you to add or remove features by modifying the checkboxes - unchanged checkboxes will not install or remove anything. Some options cannot be changed in this mode, such as the install directory; to modify these, you will need to remove and then reinstall Python completely.

“Repair” will verify all the files that should be installed using the current settings and replace any that have been removed or modified.

“Uninstall” will remove Python entirely,with the exception ofthe Python Launcher for Windows, which has its own entry in Programs and Features.

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Setting Path

The definition of “PATH” by Wikipedia is “PATH is an environment variable on Unix-like operating systems, DOS, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows, specifying a setof directories where executable programs are located. In general, each executing process or user session has its own PATH setting”

In Windows%PATH% isa variable which provides a list of directory names separated bysemicolon(;).When we enter a command on commandshell ,the system will search in current windows directory and after that it searches in path. Itactually looksfor a filename in the path which matches with the command you have given. Once it finds the matching executable file it loads the new process and getsexecuted.

Python Launcher for Windows

The Python launcher for Windows is a utility whichhelpsin locating and executing different Python versions. It allows scripts (or the command-line) to indicate a preference for a specific Pythonversion andwill locate and execute that version.

Unlike the PATH variable, the launcher will correctly select the most appropriate version of Python. It will prefer per-user installations over system-wide ones, and orders by language version rather than using the most recently installed version.

The launcher was originally specified in PEP 397.

A Python launcher is a single executable which usesa number ofheuristics to locate a Python executable and launchesit with a specified command line.

The launcher allows Python scripts or the Windows command-line to specify a particular Python version and will locate and launch that version.

Documentation links for python

Browse the docsonline or download a copy of your own

Document release by version

Conclusion

We hope this blog “How to install Python on Windows”would help you duringthe Pythoninstallation process. For additional information you can visittheUpgrad KnowledgeHutofficial site for Python.