Python Installation and configuration

Installing Python on Windows:

First, download the latest version of Python 2.7 from the official Website. If you want to be sure you are installing a fully up-to-date version then use the “Windows Installer” link from the home page of the Python.org .

The Windows version is provided as an MSI package. To install it manually, just double-click the file. The MSI package format allows Windows administrators to automate installation with their standard tools.

By design, Python installs to a directory with the version number embedded, e.g. Python version 2.7 will install atC:\Python27\, so that you can have multiple versions of Python on the same system without conflicts. Of course, only one interpreter can be the default application for Python file types. It also does not automatically modify the PATHenvironment variable, so that you always have control over which copy of Python is run.

Typing the full path name for a Python interpreter each time quickly gets tedious, so add the directories for your default Python version to the PATH. Assuming that your Python installation is in C:\Python27\, add this to your PATH:

C:\Python27\;C:\Python27\Scripts\

You can do this easily by running the following in powershell:

[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$env:Path;C:\Python27\;C:\Python27\Scripts\", "User")

The second (Scripts) directory receives command files when certain packages are installed, so it is a very useful addition. You do not need to install or configure anything else to use Python. Having said that, I would strongly recommend that you install the tools and libraries described in the next section before you start building Python applications for real-world use. In particular, you should always install Setuptools, as it makes it much easier for you to use other third-party Python libraries.

Setuptools + Pip

The most crucial third-party Python software of all is Setuptools, which extends the packaging and installation facilities provided by the distutils in the standard library. Once you add Setuptools to your Python system you can download and install any compliant Python software product with a single command. It also enables you to add this network installation capability to your own Python software with very little work.
To obtain the latest version of Setuptools for Windows, run the Python script available here: ez_setup.py
You’ll now have a new command available to you: easy_install. It is considered by many to be deprecated, so we will install its replacement: pip. Pip allows for uninstallation of packages, and is actively maintained, unlike easy_install.
To install pip, run the Python script available here: get-pip.py

Source: http://docs.python-guide.org/en/latest/starting/install/win/

Once it is done we are ready to write programs in python but by using IDE it will be more easy to write programs..
So now we will configure python  with Eclipse IDE ..

Downloading Eclipse

You can download Eclipse here. The page should automatically detect your operating system. You want to download something called the "Eclipse SDK 3.2" (~120Mb).
Decompressing and opening should yield an Eclipse welcome screen. Amuse yourself with their tutorials and welcome messages as you wish. Then, Close the welcome screen to view the editor. You're now ready to install PyDev.

Installing PyDev

Eclipse installs extensions for you from within the application. All you need to provide is the web address of the extension you want to add (in our case, PyDev).

• From the menu system, select Help >> Software Updates >> Find and Install...
• Select Search for new features to install
• Click the "New Remote Site..." button and enter the following web address:
  http://pydev.sf.net/updates/
• Select the new site by checking its box, and click Finish
• Click to install PyDev and follow the directions, then wait for the new software to be downloaded and installed.
• Open the Preferences window within Eclipse and select Pydev >> Interpreter - Python"
• In the top of the preferences pane, click New... and locate your installation of Python (python.exe).

Creating a Python Project

Eclipse organizes all of your code into projects. You'll want to create a new Python project for all of your CS 188 code.

• Select File >> New >> Project...
• Select Pydev >> Pydev Project
• Give the project a name, and press Finished

Running Python from within Eclipse

Now you're ready to create a new python file and run it from within Eclipse. Right-click (control-click on Macs) on your project and create a new blank file. Make sure your file ends in .py, and Eclipse will recognize it as Python code.
Type in some Python code (for instance: print 2+2), then right-click on the Python file you've created and selectRun As >> Python run . You should see the output of your Python code in the console at the bottom of the Eclipse window.
Now that you've run the code once, you can press the green Run arrow at the top of the Eclipse window to run it again.

The PyDev perspective

Your installation of Pydev also changes the contextual menus and layout of the Eclipse GUI to better suit Python development. To enable these enhancements, select Window >> Open Perspective >> Other... and then select the Pydev perspective. The changes you'll find are subtle; for instance you can create a new Python module by right-clicking on your project (instead of a generic file).

Source: https://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs188/fa06/eclipse.html