Using the command line and the interactive shell

Since, we looked at installing Python, let's try our hand at making Python actually do things using the textual interface.

Text-based user interfaces are very useful to programmers; they provide a quick and easy way to interact with programs while they're in development, experiment with code (which is, after all, text), and access documentation.

Opening a command-line window

How you open a command-line window depends on the operating system you're using.

• On Windows 7, open the Start menu and type CMD into the Run box.
• In Windows 8, press the Windows key and then type CMD and select Command Prompt.
• On Windows 10, press the Windows key and select Command Prompt.
• On macOS, navigate to Applications | Utilities | Terminal.
• On Linux or other Unix-style operating systems, the precise mechanism for opening a command-line window varies, but they all have the ability to do it; look for the words xterm, terminal, or shell.

Python interactive shell

Now that we...