What to install
For CSC120, you can work on your assignments in the Department of Computer Science computer labs, and you should always check your final submission there to ensure there are no subtle differences between the labs and your home computer setup.
However, you may also find it convenient to do a great deal of your work on your own computer. To make this possible, you need to install a few software packages. Each of them comes in different versions for different systems. To avoid installation unhappiness, please check to make sure you download the right package for your machine.
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Python 2.7.2
The programming language for this course.A couple of version specifications:
- Please do not install Python 3: we are using 2.7 because major libraries such as PIL (providing image support) have not yet been updated.
- Install the 32-bit version, not the 64/32 or 64-bit versions. PIL, which is required for PyGraphics, does not work well with 64-bit Python.
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Wing IDE 101
The application we use to edit and run Python programs.Install Wing 101, not "Wing IDE Professional" or "Wing IDE Personal".
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nose
A set of functions for automatically testing your own programs.- Windows:
- Install setuptools (the Python 2.7 version).
- Go to Accessories, then to DOS Command Prompt.
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In the DOS command window, type:
path=%path%;newdir
(wherenewdiris replaced with the location of the Python 2.7 scripts, which is probably something like C:\Python27\Scripts). -
In DOS, type:
easy_install nose
- Mac OS X:
- Install setuptools (the Python 2.7 version).
- Open a terminal window.
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Type:
easy_install nose
- Windows:
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easygui
A package allowing you to build a graphical user interface without some of the usual annoyances.There are a couple of different ways to install easygui, so you can pick one of the following:
- Follow the installation instructions from the easygui website
- Download the file easygui.py from the easygui website and put in in the directory with your code.