Further information

Why do we need to use the print function with an editor?

When we use a Jupyter notebook, the last line of a cell corresponds to the output of the cell and is automatically displayed.

When running code written in an editor directly through the Python interpreter there is no where for code to be output to. Thus we need to specifically tell it to display the code which is what the print statement does.

Can I use a Python plugin to run my code from inside my editor?

When using the Python plugin buttons become available that let you run code without using the command line. If this helps you with your programming than I encourage you to use it. However, It is good to be comfortable using a command line tool to fully understand what the underlying process. Furthermore, at times when debugging sometimes the user interface might be at fault.

Can I open a Jupyter notebook inside vscode?

When using the Python plugin it is actually possible to use Jupyter notebooks from within VScode.

The notebooks will not look exactly the same but have the same functionality.

Fig. 18 A notebook in vscode

Note that when writing markdown the $ signs must be used to delimit mathematics. (See Can I use \( and \) instead of $ for LaTeX?).

What is the difference between an Integrated Development Environment and an editor?

An Integrated Development Environment or IDE is another type of tool used to write code. A popular one for Python is PyCharm https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/.

Generally IDEs are powerful tools designed for one specific language whereas editors are supposedly lightweight and designed to be flexible to be used with many languages.

I recommend experimenting with IDEs and/or editors to find what you prefer but throughout this book we will use VScode.

Why can I not use \\( and \\) for markdown in VScode.

When using Jupyter notebooks or the markdown preview feature in VScode the single $ and $$ must be used as delimiters for mathematics. (See Can I use \( and \) instead of $ for LaTeX?).