Python Part 2 - Setting up and using Visual Studio Code

By Andy Brown

Download files and exercises for this tutorial from

The biggest obstacle to learning Python isn't the language itself - it's getting a development environment set up. This video shows you how to install and customise Visual Studio Code (our preferred development environment for Python), laying the foundations for you to write awesome programs in subsequent tutorials in this series.

Chapters
00:00 Topic list
01:27 Installing Visual Studio Code
02:58 Choosing a theme
04:11 Installing Python
06:13 The terminal window
08:12 File programs
10:45 The Code Runner extension
12:43 How to change your settings
19:14 Some suggested settings
21:56 5 tips for Visual Studio Code

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[sugenklove]

What makes Andrew diffrent from other teachers is the ability to know how the way the beginner student think, he knows exactly how to guide the very beginners perfectly.

[mannohneschuh]

26:00 no double click is needed to rename it with F2, if you click owl_sound once u see that all owl_sound variables are highlighted and you can use F2

[DivisionLagSwitchersExposed]

Looking forward to part 3. Keep them coming!

[agermoune]

Wow! took many classes on you tube but as always WiseOwl always comes on the top.Thank you for tackling Python as well!

[dnyaneshwar]

Really thank you so much Andy for making python easy for me & now I can be sure I'll learn python. also I want to mention that I learned VBA(Macros) only because of you. 🙌🙌

[ricksegalCanada]

Andy, this is, by far, the best video I've seen/interacted with re: Getting VS Code up -n- running for Python coding. I would concur with the requests for the next part, esp. the notion of workspaces vs. virtual environments. After having venv beat into my head, VSCode either ignores em or decided (like MS usually does) to make up another term (workspaces) for the same thing. You style and approach will, I'm sure, educate us all. Again, well done.

[svenbjorn]

@6:24 that is the tilde button, or the backtick button. That is not an apostrophe, which is the key that makes a quote symbol if you press it while holding shift. If you press ctrl+apostrophe, or shift+ctrl+apostrophe, you will become frustrated wondering why your terminal won't open.

[wayneedmondson]

Thanks Andy! Great series so far.. learning a lot. Looking forward to Part 3. Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)) Thumbs up!!

[gemini]

Wise Owl. You are truly Wise! Thank you!

[ranjeetnbittu]

Thank you so much for the very very informative tips.. Looking forward to see more videos on Python and related packages like Pandas, and with some GUI development packages like PyQt5. Thanks again.. 👍

[learntech]

Thanks for such an informative video looking forward for Python Part 3 video. Keep coming thanks in advance...

[bryantai]

very insightful tutorial, clear and concise. Thanks!

[cosmic_plant]

for those confused like me because ctrl+` wasn't working, if your visual studio is set in Spanish it is ctrl+ñ. hope it helps

[BetelgeuseRomaneeConti]

8:12 it says to open a folder but do i need to create a folder and how do i do so?

[mannohneschuh]

I have downloaded and installed Python 3.11.1 (64 bit) from the website, but whenever I type python in the terminal, the Microsoft Store opens and wants me to install Python.
I downloaded the latest version from there and then it worked. However.
Great series so far.

[MohaleMohale]

@ around 18:05 there are settings changes you made, can you share the same changes you did already?

[liudmiladavydiuk]

Andy - this is such a great tutorials! Thank you. Although with F2 (replace text/string (if i understand it correctly - I am very novice) - its not working. Is CTRL + H is the correct replacement to it ?

[salvadoralvizo]

None of the shortcuts you shared have worked for me, in either Windows or OSX, is there any way to trouble shoot to get them working?

[adjalmohamed]

think you so much sir for this amazing video, so I want watched a video about locked formula in excel VBA

[bigger]

That was really fun and intersting
Thank you.