Step 1. Create and run your first Python project

1. If you’re on the Welcome screen, click New Project. If you’ve already got any project open, choose File | New Project from the main menu.

2. Although you can create projects of various types in PyCharm, in this tutorial let's create a simple Pure Python project. This template will create an empty project.

   

3. Choose the project location. Click button next to the Location field and specify the directory for your project.

4. Also, deselect the Create a main.py welcome script checkbox because you will create a new Python file for this tutorial.

5. Python best practice is to create a virtualenv for each project. In most cases, PyCharm create a new virtual environment automatically and you don't need to configure anything. Still, you can preview and modify the venv options. Expand the Python Interpreter: New Virtualenv Environment node and select a tool used to create a new virtual environment. Let's choose Virtualenv tool, and specify the location of the environment and the base Python interpreter used for the new virtual environment.

   When configuring the base interpreter, you need to specify the path to the Python executable. If PyCharm detects no Python on your machine, it provides the following options:

   • Specify a path to the Python executable (in case of non-standard installation)

   • Download and install the latest Python versions from python.org

   • Install Python using the Command-Line Developer Tools (macOS only).

   

   

   Refer to Configure a Python interpreter for more details.

   Now click the Create button at the bottom of the New Project dialog.

1. In the Project tool window, select the project root (typically, it is the root node in the project tree), right-click it, and select File | New ....

   

2. Select the option Python File from the context menu, and then type the new filename.

   

   PyCharm creates a new Python file and opens it for editing.

   

Let's start editing the Python file you've just created.

1. Start with declaring a class. Immediately as you start typing, PyCharm suggests how to complete your line:

   

   Choose the keyword class and type the class name, Car.

2. PyCharm informs you about the missing colon, then expected indentation:

   

   Note that PyCharm analyses your code on-the-fly, the results are immediately shown in the inspection indicator in the upper-right corner of the editor. This inspection indication works like a traffic light: when it is green, everything is OK, and you can go on with your code; a yellow light means some minor problems that however will not affect compilation; but when the light is red, it means that you have some serious errors. Click it to preview the details in the Problems tool window.

   

3. Let's continue creating the function __init__: when you just type the opening brace, PyCharm creates the entire code construct (mandatory parameter self, closing brace and colon), and provides proper indentation.

   

4. If you notice any inspection warnings as you're editing your code, click the bulb symbol to preview the list of possible fixes and recommended actions:

   

5. Let's copy and paste the entire code sample. Click the copy button in the upper-right corner of the code block here in the help page, then paste it into the PyCharm editor replacing the content of the Car.py file:

   class Car: def __init__(self, speed=0): self.speed = speed self.odometer = 0 self.time = 0 def say_state(self): print("I'm going {} kph!".format(self.speed)) def accelerate(self): self.speed += 5 def brake(self): if self.speed < 5: self.speed = 0 else: self.speed -= 5 def step(self): self.odometer += self.speed self.time += 1 def average_speed(self): if self.time != 0: return self.odometer / self.time else: pass if __name__ == '__main__': my_car = Car() print("I'm a car!") while True: action = input("What should I do? [A]ccelerate, [B]rake, " "show [O]dometer, or show average [S]peed?").upper() if action not in "ABOS" or len(action) != 1: print("I don't know how to do that") continue if action == 'A': my_car.accelerate() elif action == 'B': my_car.brake() elif action == 'O': print("The car has driven {} kilometers".format(my_car.odometer)) elif action == 'S': print("The car's average speed was {} kph".format(my_car.average_speed())) my_car.step() my_car.say_state()

Use either of the following ways to run your code:

• Right-click the editor and select Run 'Car' from the context menu .

• Press Ctrl+Shift+F10.

• Since this Python script contains a main function, you can click an icon in the gutter. If you hover your mouse pointer over it, the available commands show up:

  

  If you click this icon, you'll see the popup menu of the available commands. Choose Run 'Car':