Getting Started with VS Code

Using the Terminal in VS Code

VS Code has a built-in terminal that makes it easy to run Python scripts and Git commands.

Opening the Terminal

• Use the keyboard shortcut: Control + ` (backtick key, usually under Esc)
• Or go to the menu: Terminal → New Terminal
• Or use the Command Palette: Cmd+Shift+P and type "Terminal: Create New Terminal"

Running Python in the Terminal

1. Create a new file called hello.py
2. Add some Python code: print("Hello, World!")
3. Save the file (Cmd+S)
4. In the terminal, type: python hello.py

Basic Git Commands

Git helps you track changes to your code and collaborate with others. Here are some basic commands you'll use often:

Setting Up a New Project with Git

# Create a new project folder
mkdir my-python-project
cd my-python-project

# Initialize Git repository
git init

# Create a Python file
touch hello.py

# Open VS Code in the current directory
code .

Basic Git Workflow

# Check status of your files
git status

# Add files to staging area
git add hello.py
# Or add all files
git add .

# Commit your changes
git commit -m "Add hello world script"

# See your commit history
git log

Git in VS Code

VS Code has excellent Git integration:

• Click the Source Control icon in the sidebar (looks like a branch)
• Changes to files will be shown there
• Hover over a file and click + to stage changes
• Enter a commit message and click the checkmark to commit

Python Basics in VS Code

Creating Your First Script

Create a file named hello.py with the following content:

print("Hello, world!")
name = input("What's your name? ")
print(f"Nice to meet you, {name}!")

Run it by typing python hello.py in the VS Code terminal.

VS Code Python Features

• Run current file: Right-click in editor and select "Run Python File in Terminal"
• Run selected code: Select code, right-click, choose "Run Selection/Line in Python Terminal"
• Python IntelliSense: Get autocomplete suggestions as you type
• Linting: See errors and warnings in your code as you type

Installing Python Packages

You can install Python libraries using pip in the VS Code terminal.

Basic pip Commands

# Install a package
pip install requests

# Install multiple packages
pip install pandas matplotlib

# Check installed packages
pip list

# Uninstall a package
pip uninstall requests

Using Installed Packages

After installing a package, you can import it in your Python code:

# Example using requests package
import requests

response = requests.get("https://api.github.com")
print(f"GitHub API Status: {response.status_code}")
print(response.json())

Sharing Your Code with Git

Once you've created a project, you might want to share it on GitHub.

Creating a GitHub Repository

1. Go to github.com/new
2. Enter a repository name
3. Choose public or private
4. Click "Create repository"
5. Follow the instructions to push your existing repository

Pushing to GitHub

# Add the GitHub repository as a remote
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo-name.git

# Push your code to GitHub
git push -u origin main

# For subsequent pushes, you can just use:
git push