Set Python Launcher as the primary app for running scripts on a Mac.Things get a little more complicated with the Finder, which is why most people avoid it. That’s the basic condition and you can’t go on without it. If you are using the Terminal window, you have to make sure that the shell search path contains /usr/local/bin. A typical macOS has a variety of standard command line editors such as emacs or vim, but you can opt for more advanced features by using alternative editors like BBEdit or text Mate. The Terminal and the Finder both need a text editor for creating a script. The former is a much more common solution as it is way simpler, but we will talk about both options equally. There are two basic ways of running a Python script on a Mac: But you need to remember one thing before you initiate some heavy lifting with Python – the program might require some serious processing power and you should always look for useful tips on how to cool down your Mac when you’ve been programming too hard. We already mentioned Python’s native integrated development environment, aka IDLE, as it is the easiest way for new clients to start using Python on a Mac. Even if you download the newer program, both versions remain on your computer simultaneously. As soon as you install Python, the program itself will share the framework’s location with your shell path.īear in mind that users who want to keep the pre-installed version of Python should never change or modify the original framework because it is completely in control of Apple.

The framework is marked as /Library/Frameworks/amework. A framework containing libraries and the Python executable.Within IDLE, you can find a help menu with all of Python’s documentation. Besides that, you’ll get Python Launcher, a tool that manages Python scripts. This directory contains IDLE, aka a text editor that comes as Python’s readymade solution. A new folder called Python 3.9 is in your laptop’s Application folder.When you visit the site and click the download button, you get a couple of things: However, most users want the latest Python 3 version and they can download it from the official website. Getting StartedĪ Macintosh comes with a prebuilt Python 2.7 version, so you don’t even have to bother with technical procedures if the latest version is not mandatory. The goal is to dive straight into the topic, so let’s see how to actually use Python on macOS. There’s still a steep learning curve to handle, so we are even going to cover the basics such as how to install Python on a Mac. It’s a language that perfectly suits Mac because it overcomes traditional programming obstacles in order to humanize the coding process and make it more understandable.īut the sheer simplicity doesn’t make Python easy to learn. Python is a powerful programming tool, but it becomes a different kind of beast when you use it on a Mac. Last Updated: Wednesday 29 th December 2021

How to run a python script on mac