Getting Started With Python and Spider

Python is high-level language with many available libraries. This makes python an ideal choice for scientific computation. Other advantages of python includes

1. Libraries (such as tkinter) for easily creating GUI (graphical user interface).
2. Ability to easily convert python code to executable file using pyInstaller. Thus, enabling independent execution of code without installing python interpreter.
3. Availability of pySerial for projects requiring hardware interface.

There are many IDE (Integrated Design Environment) that are available for using python. I personally prefer using Spyder (The Scientific Python Development Environment) as it has MATLAB like interpreter, variable explorer, integrated plotting options. Moreover, Fusion 360 uses Sypder IDE for creating add-on/scripts.

Getting Started with Python

A good resource to getting started with python is anaconda documentation. Simply install anaconda and it will install Spyder and other IDE along with it.  Immediately after installing anacoda update it by executing these commands in anaconda prompt. First, open the anaconda prompt by going to start – anaconda – Anacoda prompt. Next, executing the following commands:

conda update anaconda
conda update spyder

To install python packages, execute the appropriate installation commands in anaconda prompt. For example, to install pySerial package, type the following commands

conda install -c anaconda pyserial

Similarly, to install tkinter package, execute the following command

conda install -c anaconda tk

Using Serial Port in Python