How to run a python file

A file with python code in it is a ‘module’ or ‘script’

(more on the distinction later on…)

It should be named with the .py extension: some_name.py

If you want to run the code directly (it is a script), you have a couple options:

  1. call python on the command line, and pass in your module name
$ python3 the_name_of_the_script.py

  1. On *nix (linux, OS-X, Windows bash), you can make the file “executable”:

    $ chmod +x the_file.py

    And make sure it has a “shebang” line at the top:

    #!/usr/bin/env python

    Then you can run it directly:

    ./the_file.py

  2. On Windows, the .py extensions can be associated with the python interpreter, so it can be run directly. This is clunkier than the *nix “shebang line” approach, so I don’t recommend it – but it is an option.

  3. run ipython, and run it from within iPython with the run command

In [1]: run the_file.py
  1. Various IDEs (PyCharm, IDLE, etc) have a way to run the module you are currently editing – if you use one of these tools, learn how to do that. Make sure that it is using the version of Python that you want it to be.