Set Up the Files - IncrediCoders/Python1 GitHub Wiki
Paul Python added this page on July 29, 2025
I'm going to show you how to set up Microsoft Visual Studio Code (a desktop application). Visual Studio Code (VSC) is free, and it's a full development environment, like what professionals use (so you should use VSC, when you're ready to progress to the next step in your learning journey).
Visual Studio Code Setup
If you plan to use Visual Studio Code, you should make sure you have completed these two steps:
Here are some additional Visual Studio Code resources for you to check out:
Other IDEs
We landed on using Microsoft Visual Studio Code because it's a free professional IDE (integrated developer environment), which is the application that you use to write, edit, and run code. It's compatible with most all operating systems, and it has the most capabilities (including extensions and supporting all programming languages, so you can learn another language after you learn Python). Because it's a professional tool and industry standard, students set themselves up for success better by learning it sooner. If you find that the interface is too overwhelming (too many options), or you just want to start with a simpler interface for any reason, a good Python IDE with a simpler interface is Thonny.
Thonny is a minimal IDE, but it still has basic code completion and debugging features. You can learn about, download, and install Thonny from their site:
Try Out the Games
Try out the games before you build them:
Once you're all set up, it's time to head back to the level you're on, to continue your programming journey: