CSCI 1101 Environment Setup

This page explains how to configure your computing environment for CSCI 1101. In particular, you need two pieces of software installed: Wing IDE 101 and Python 3. You still need to do this even if you are working on a lab machine instead of your laptop. However, the procedure is slightly different depending on (1) if you're on a lab machine or your laptop, and (2) if your laptop is a Mac or a Windows PC.

If you are using a lab machine, please use the Mac environment - the instructions below for lab machines assume that you are on the Mac side.

You only need to perform this procedure once - once Wing is configured, you do not need to do any further setup unless you switch to a different machine (in which case you will need to do this procedure again).

Step 1: Install Python 3 (only for laptops)

If you are on a lab machine, Python 3 is already installed and you can skip to step 3. If you're using your laptop (either Mac or PC), follow these steps:

1. Go to http://python.org/downloads.
2. Click the button to download Python 3 (whatever minor version is fine, e.g., 3.5.1). Do not click the button to download Python 2!
3. Once the download is finished, run the installer to install Python 3.

Step 2: Install Wing 101 (only for laptops)

If you are on a lab machine, Wing 101 is already installed and you can skip to step 3. If you're using your laptop (either Mac or PC), follow these steps:

1. Go to http://wingware.com/downloads/wingide-101.
2. Click the button to download the Wing 101 installer.
3. Once the download is finished, run the installer to install Wing 101.

Step 3: Configure Wing 101 (only for Macs)

If you are on a Windows laptop, Wing is already properly configured and you can skip to step 4. If you are on a Mac laptop or a lab machine, follow these steps:

1. Open Wing 101. The application is located in Macintosh HD, then Applications. On a lab machine, there may be multiple Wing applications in this folder - the one you want is Wing101.
2. Go to the Edit menu, then select Configure Python.
3. Change the Python Executable option to Custom, then set it to the following, depending on if you are on a laptop or a lab machine:
   On a laptop: /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/bin/python3
   On a lab machine: /anaconda3/bin/python3.4
4. Change the Python Path option to Custom, then click Insert and add the following, depending on if you are on a laptop or a lab machine:
   On a laptop: /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/lib/python3.5
   On a lab machine: /anaconda3/lib/python3.4
   You can delete the existing path (the one that was there before you inserted the above).

Step 4: Test the Installation (everyone)

To test that everything is working, follow these steps:

1. If Wing 101 is already open, quit it.
2. Open Wing 101.
3. Type the following in the Python Shell window within Wing (lower right corner):

   print('It works!')

4. Push enter and you should see the text 'It works!' (without the quotes) appear underneath. If so, everything works and you're done. If you got a nasty looking error message, something is off and you should ask an instructor for help.