This semester, we expect you to use one of Anaconda Python 3.12.x , where "x" can be any number, although any version of Python 3, such as 3.7.x or 3.8.x, should be OK. You must not use Python 2.x.y, where x and y are any number.

1. Install Anaconda Python 3.12 on your own computer

Installing Python can be more complicated than using it. You aren't expected to understand all the steps in our instructions, which are admittedly but unavoidably lengthy, but you do need to follow them to the letter. The process usually takes 15-20 minutes.

If you have problems installing Python on your laptop, bring it in to someone on the course staff to look at or post a question on Ed Discussions.

Click on the instructions that match your operating system:

2. Test your installation

3. Install & Configure Pulsar

We recommend using Pulsar (version 1.123.0) to create and edit Python programs. Pulsar is a text editor for writing code — just like Microsoft Word is a text editor for writing papers. You may use other code editors, but we will be using Pulsar in lecture and this is the editor the course staff can help you with.

Installation

Download the file that is right for your system and processor (see our MacOS Python installation instructions for a refresher on how to check the processor type). Click on the appropriate link below:

macOS Apple-chip Pulsar
(https://github.com/pulsar-edit/pulsar/releases/download/v1.123.0/Silicon.Mac.Pulsar-1.123.0-arm64.dmg)

macOS Intel-chip Pulsar

(https://github.com/pulsar-edit/pulsar/releases/download/v1.123.0/Intel.Mac.Pulsar-1.123.0.dmg)

Windows Pulsar
(https://github.com/pulsar-edit/pulsar/releases/download/v1.123.0/Windows.Pulsar.Setup.1.123.0.exe)

Double-click on the downloaded file and follow directions.

Confusing situations you could encounter and how to handle them.

Long story: The apps you are installing are not "signed"". You do not need to know what this means, but if you are curious you can read about the issue here or here.

Windows		Mac
A window pops up saying "Windows protected your PC"... Bypass this by clicking More info, bringing up the next window: and then click Run anyway.		Do not Move to Trash. Hit Cancel. You can solve the problem by going back to the Terminal and typing: `> xattr -cr /Applications/Pulsar.app/` Remember you do not type the "`>`" that is how we represent your shell's prompt.

If you see this ... ... whatever you choose for the checkboxes is OK. Make whatever selections you like and click Install.		If you see this... ...click and drag the "Pulsar.app" icon into the Applications folder as prompted.

Configuration

Python treats spaces and tabs very differently. If you accidentally use one instead of the other, it could cause your program to crash. And you'll have a hard time finding the problem because tabs and spaces look identical.

For this reason, we'll configure Pulsar so that indentation is consistent across all of our files. First, open Pulsar. Then, open the Settings menu option; in Windows, it is under the File category, and in Mac, it is under Pulsar. Then, in the settings window that opens, select the Editor category, and scroll down. Check the boxes "Show Indent Guide" and "Show Invisibles" so that your settings match this image:

This will allow you to see both tabs and spaces, and to tell the difference between the two. Spaces will look like light dots which are centered vertically on each line. Tabs will look like two '>' characters next to each other. These are illustrated in the examples below.

Pulsar with Tabs (bad)	Pulsar with Spaces Only (Good!)

Continue scrolling down.

Change the value in "Tab Length" to 4.

Click on the value in "Tab Type". This should open a drop-down menu. Select "soft". This will make Pulsar automatically replace all Tabs you input with 4 spaces. After configuring, these two settings should look like this:

Hooray! Now you have a nice text editor to code in.

When you first open Pulsar, a “Welcome Screen” with multiple panes will appear, cluttering your workspace. We'll disable this screen to create a cleaner coding environment.

First, open up Pulsar. In the middle pane titled “Welcome” there will be a check box at the bottom that reads “Show Welcome Guide when opening Pulsar” This box is checked by default. Uncheck this box.

Pulsar with “Show Welcome Guide when opening Pulsar” box checked (bad)	Pulsar with “Show Welcome Guide when opening Pulsar” box unchecked (Good!)

Since we just unchecked this box, the panes that block your view will still be there (but don’t worry, the next time you open Pulsar these will be gone). To get rid of the panes, hover over the tab names, such as “Change Log,” and press on the “X.” Do this until your Pulsar screen is blank. Now, you can import the python file you want to code.

Screenshot 2025-02-02 at 9.00.23 PM.png

To make sure your configuration is setup properly, close and re-open Pulsar. If configured correctly, when you open Pulsar you should only have 2 panes — “untitled” and “Change Log.”

Screenshot 2025-02-02 at 9.01.27 PM.png

Now, you're ready to import your Python file and start coding!