Python PyCharm Installation and Usage
PyCharm is a Python integrated development environment (IDE) produced by JetBrains, with intelligent code completion and graphical debugging features, supporting Windows / macOS / Linux all platforms.
PyCharm is an integrated tool for writing code, running programs, debugging, managing projects, and collaborating, and is currently the most mainstream Python development tool in the industry.
In this chapter, we will introduce the installation of Python and PyCharm, and create and run your first Python program.
| Stage | Content |
|---|---|
| 1. Install Python | Download, install, and verify the Python interpreter |
| 2. Install PyCharm | Download and install PyCharm Community Edition |
| 3. Create a project | Create a new project and create a Python file |
| 4. Write and run code | Write hello.py and run it |
Installing Python
Python is the interpreter required to run Python programs, and PyCharm relies on it to execute code.
Installing Python consists of three steps: download the installer, run the installation, and verify the installation result.
Download Python
Open a browser and visit the download page on the official Python website:https://www.python.org/downloads/。
The website usually automatically detects your operating system (Windows / macOS / Linux). Click the yellow button on the page to download the latest version.
It is recommended to choose Python 3.10 or above. Currently, mainstream tutorials and third-party libraries have good support for newer versions. Python 2.x was discontinued in 2020, so do not use it anymore.
Install Python
The following takes Windows as an example. macOS and Linux users should refer to the corresponding instructions.
Windows installation steps:
| Step | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Double-click the installer | Run the downloaded .exe file, for examplepython-3.12.x-amd64.exe |
| 2 | Check the PATH option | Critical step: At the bottom of the installation interface, checkAdd python.exe to PATH, otherwise the command line may not find Python
|
| 3 | Click Install Now | Just wait for the installation progress bar to complete |
macOS users:
You can directly double-click the .pkg installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation, or install via the Homebrew package manager:
brew install python3
Verify Installation
Open a command-line tool (use Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows, Terminal on macOS), and enter the following command:
python --version
If it displays something likePython 3.12.0a version number, the installation is successful.
On some systems (especially macOS/Linux), the system's built-in python command points to Python 2. In this case, you need to enter
python3 --versionto check the newly installed Python 3.
Installing PyCharm
PyCharm is developed by JetBrains and is one of the most popular Python IDEs.
It has two versions. Beginners can simply choose the free Community Edition:
| Edition | Cost | Target Users | Main Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | Paid | Professional developers | Supports full features such as web development, database tools, scientific computing, etc. |
| Community | Free | Beginners / Students | Core features for pure Python development, fully sufficient for beginners |
Download PyCharm
Visit the PyCharm download page on the JetBrains official website:https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/。
On the page, findDownloadbutton, and click the download button for the corresponding operating system.
Install PyCharm
The installation methods for different operating systems are as follows:
| Operating System | Installation Method |
|---|---|
| Windows | Double-click the .exe installer and click "Next" all the way through. It is recommended to check "Create desktop shortcut". |
| macOS | Double-click the .dmg file and drag the PyCharm icon into the Applications folder |
| Linux | You can extract the .tar.gz and runbin/pycharm.sh, or install via Snap |
Linux Snap installation command:
sudo snap install pycharm-community --classic
After installation, open PyCharm. On first launch, it will guide you to choose a UI theme and keymap scheme. You can keep the default settings or choose according to your personal preferences.
Install PyCharm
Windows System
- Double-click the downloaded installer file (
.exe）。 - In the installation wizard, choose the installation path; it is recommended to use the default path.
- CheckCreate desktop shortcut (Creat Desktop Shortcut)so that you can quickly launch PyCharm.
- ClickInstallto start the installation.
- After installation is complete, clickFinishto exit the installation wizard.
macOS System
- Open the downloaded
.dmgfile. - Drag the PyCharm icon into the "Applications" folder.
- Find PyCharm in the "Applications" folder and double-click to launch it.
Linux System
- Extract the downloaded
.tar.gzfile.tar -xzf pycharm-*.tar.gz
- Enter the extracted directory and find
binfolder.cd pycharm-*/bin
- Run
pycharm.shto launch PyCharm../pycharm.sh
Configuring PyCharm
When you start PyCharm for the first time, you will be prompted to perform some initial configuration. We can set the language and agree to the terms:
After startup, you can configure personal preferences:
Choose a theme: You can choose the "Darcula" (dark) or "Light" (light) theme.
Configure the Python interpreter: If you have already installed Python, PyCharm will automatically detect and configure the interpreter. If not installed, you can manually add it.
Install plugins: PyCharm will recommend some common plugins, and you can choose to install them as needed.
Creating Your First Project
PyCharm usesProjectas the unit to manage code. A project corresponds to a folder, which can contain multiple Python files.
New Project
After opening PyCharm, click the welcome screen'sNew Project(New Project) button.
In the pop-up creation window, you need to confirm two settings:
| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Location (project location) | The save path of the project folder | D:\PythonProjects\HelloWorld |
| Python Interpreter (interpreter) | The path of the Python interpreter. PyCharm usually detects it automatically. | If not automatically recognized, manually select it.python.exeorpython3 |
After confirming it is correct, click theCreate(Create) button.
Do not include Chinese characters or spaces in the project path, otherwise some third-party tools may run abnormally. An all-English path is recommended.
New Python File
After the project is created, follow these steps in the PyCharm main window to create a Python file:
| Step | Operation |
|---|---|
| 1 | In the left Project panel, right-click the project root directory |
| 2 | SelectNew → Python File |
| 3 | Enter a file name (such ashello_example), and press Enter to confirm |
PyCharm will automatically generatehello_example.pyfile, and open it in the right editor area for you to write code.
Write and Run Your First Program
After the file is created, write code and run it to see how the Python program executes.
Write Code
Inhello_example.pyEnter the following code in the file:
Example
# First Python program: greet the user and interact with them
# The print() function is used to output text on the screen
print("Hello, World!")
# The input() function waits for the user to enter content from the keyboard, and the return value is a string
# The text in parentheses is the prompt information displayed to the user
name = input("Please enter your name:")
# f-string (formatted string) can directly embed variables in a string
# The variables in curly braces {} will be replaced with their values
print(f"Hello, {name}! Welcome to learn Python.")
This code does three things:
| Code | Purpose |
|---|---|
print("Hello, EXAMPLE!") |
Prints a fixed greeting to the screen |
input("请输入你的名字：") |
Displays prompt text on the screen, waits for the user to enter a name, and stores the input in a variable after pressing Entername |
print(f"你好，{name}！...") |
Uses f-string to embed the variablename's value into the greeting to generate personalized output |
Run Program
PyCharm provides multiple ways to run; choose any one:
| Run method | Operation |
|---|---|
| Context menu | Right-click anywhere in the editor area, then selectRun 'hello' |
| Run button | Click the green triangle button in the upper-right corner of the code editor area |
| Shortcut key | On Windows/Linux, pressShift + F10, on macOS pressCtrl + R |
After running, PyCharm will pop up at the bottomRun(Run) window, showing the program output:
Hello, EXAMPLE! 请输入你的名字：example 你好，example！欢迎学习 Python。 进程已结束，退出代码为 0
Type your name in the input area of the Run window and press Enter to see the personalized greeting.
If a prompt appears at runtime"No Python interpreter configured", it means PyCharm did not find the Python interpreter. Go to
File → Settings → Project → Python InterpreterManually specify the Python installation path to solve it.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
When using Python and PyCharm for the first time, the following are the four most common problems and their solutions.
| Problem symptom | Possible cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
Command line inputpythonprompts 'is not recognized as an internal or external command' |
Add to PATH was not checked during installation | Re-run the installer and check this option, or manually add the Python path to the system environment variables |
| PyCharm prompts that the interpreter cannot be found | PyCharm did not automatically detect Python | InFile → Settings → Project → Python InterpreterIn ... manually specify the path of the Python executable file |
| Running code has no response or reports an error | Code indentation error or file not saved | Check whether the code indentation is consistent (Python strictly requires indentation), and confirm the file is saved (when unsaved, there is a dot mark next to the file name) |
| Chinese output garbled | File encoding is not UTF-8 | InFile → Settings → Editor → File EncodingsIn ..., set the encoding to UTF-8 |