Installing Python

Django 5.2 supports Python 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12, and 3.13. In the examples in this book, we will use Python 3.12.

If you’re using Linux or macOS, you probably have Python installed, but you may need to upgrade to one of the supported versions just mentioned. You can download the installer by visiting python.org/downloads. Alternatively, use your preferred method for installing one of the latest versions. If you’re using Windows, you can also download a Python installer from the Python website.

Open the command-line shell prompt of your machine. If you are using macOS, press Command + spacebar to open Spotlight and write Terminal to open Terminal.app. If you are using Windows, open the Start menu and type powers into the search box. Then, click on the Windows PowerShell application to open it. Alternatively, you can use the more basic command prompt by typing cmd into the search box and clicking on the Command Prompt application to open it.

Verify that Python 3 is installed on your machine by typing the following command in the shell prompt:

python3 --version

If you see the following, then Python 3 is installed on your computer:

Python 3.12.9

If you get an error, try the python command instead of python3. If you use Windows, it’s recommended that you replace python with the py command.

If your installed Python version is lower than 3.12, or if Python is not installed on your computer, download Python 3.12 from https://www.python.org/downloads/ and follow the instructions to install it. On the download site, you can find Python installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Throughout this book, when Python is referenced in the shell prompt, we will use the python command, though some systems may require using python3. If you are using Linux or macOS and your system’s Python is Python 2, you will need to use python3 to use the Python 3 version you installed. Note that Python 2 reached end-of-life in January 2020 and shouldn’t be used anymore.

On Windows, python is the Python executable of your default Python installation, whereas py is the Python launcher. The Python launcher for Windows was introduced in Python 3.3. It detects what Python versions are installed on your machine and it automatically delegates to the latest version.

If you use Windows, you should use the py command. You can read more about the Windows Python launcher at https://docs.python.org/3/using/windows.html#launcher.

Next, you are going to create a Python environment for your project and install the necessary Python libraries.