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How To Update Python In Mac

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Update

Like Linux, macOS also comes with Python pre-installed on the system. It might be Python version 2 or some similar outdated version. To update to the latest version, we will use the Homebrew Package manager. It is one of the best and convenient methods to install Python on macOS. Both python 2x and 3x can stay installed in a MAC. Mac comes with python 2x version. To check the default python version in your MAC, open the terminal and type-python -version However to check, if you have already installed any of python 3x versions, you need to type. Python3 -version If you don't then go ahead and install it with the installer.

How To Update Python Path In Mac

Mac OS X comes with Python 2.7 out of the box.

You do not need to install or configure anything else to use Python 2. Theseinstructions document the installation of Python 3.

Accelerometerdll. The version of Python that ships with OS X is great for learning, but it's notgood for development. The version shipped with OS X may be out of date from theofficial current Python release,which is considered the stable production version.

Doing it Right¶

Let's install a real version of Python.

Before installing Python, you'll need to install GCC. GCC can be obtainedby downloading Xcode, the smallerCommand Line Tools (must have anApple account) or the even smaller OSX-GCC-Installerpackage.

Note

If you already have Xcode installed, do not install OSX-GCC-Installer.In combination, the software can cause issues that are difficult todiagnose.

Note

If you perform a fresh install of Xcode, you will also need to add thecommandline tools by running xcode-select--install on the terminal.

While OS X comes with a large number of Unix utilities, those familiar withLinux systems will notice one key component missing: a package manager.Homebrew fills this void.

To install Homebrew, open Terminal oryour favorite OS X terminal emulator and run

The script will explain what changes it will make and prompt you before theinstallation begins.Once you've installed Homebrew, insert the Homebrew directory at the topof your PATH environment variable. You can do this by adding the followingline at the bottom of your ~/.profile file

How To Update Python In Mac

If you have OS X 10.12 (Sierra) or older use this line instead

Now, we can install Python 3:

This will take a minute or two.

Pip¶

Homebrew installs pip pointing to the Homebrew'd Python 3 for you.

Working with Python 3¶

At this point, you have the system Python 2.7 available, potentially theHomebrew version of Python 2 installed, and the Homebrewversion of Python 3 as well.

will launch the Homebrew-installed Python 3 interpreter.

will launch the Homebrew-installed Python 2 interpreter (if any).

will launch the Homebrew-installed Python 3 interpreter.

Upgrade Python Mac Os

If the Homebrew version of Python 2 is installed then pip2 will point to Python 2.If the Homebrew version of Python 3 is installed then pip will point to Python 3.

The rest of the guide will assume that python references Python 3.

Upgrade python mac os

How To Install Python In Macbook Air

Pipenv & Virtual Environments¶

The next step is to install Pipenv, so you can install dependencies and manage virtual environments.

A Virtual Environment is a tool to keep the dependencies required by different projectsin separate places, by creating virtual Python environments for them. It solves the'Project X depends on version 1.x but, Project Y needs 4.x' dilemma, and keepsyour global site-packages directory clean and manageable.

For example, you can work on a project which requires Django 1.10 while alsomaintaining a project which requires Django 1.8.

So, onward! To the Pipenv & Virtual Environments docs!

This page is a remixed version of another guide,which is available under the same license.

Knowing how to update Python is important if you want to ensure you have access to the latest features, bug-fixes, and security. So how do you keep up with the times? This post will show you how.

Also read: How to round in Python

The easy part: how to update Python

Updating Python is the easy part. Simply head over to the website and then download the latest version of the interpreter:

This will download an installer, and when you run that file, you'll be taken through the next steps. Seeing as you want to know how to update Python, chances are high you already have an older version installed on your machine. In that case, you will be prompted to update and… that's it.

Easy!

If you don't already have Python installed on your machine, then you should check out our guide for that here:

What version of Python should you use?

Update

At the time of writing, the newest version of Python is Python 3.8.4. This provides a number of bug fixes over previous versions and some security updates. It was released last October.

If you're planning on learning Python, this is the version that you should use. So what is the confusion?

Well, for a long time, there was a debate in the coding community as to whether developers should learn Python 2 or Python 3. This confusion stemmed from the fact that, although Python 3 was newer, a lot of modules, frameworks, documentation, and even organizations had not made the switch.

For example, the Google App Engine is a service that allows developers to create web apps using Python and other tools that will run across multiple Google-managed data centers. Sites like Khanacademy.org use Google App Engine, for example.

Also read: What is Python and how do you get started?

Until two years ago, Google App Engine only supported Python 2. Therefore, if you wanted to build an app that ran on this service, you needed to use Python 2 and not Python 3.

The fact that Python 2.7 was the 'endpoint' also helped in many cases where modules hadn't caught up to the latest version of Python 3.

How To Update Python Version In Mac

Mac

Like Linux, macOS also comes with Python pre-installed on the system. It might be Python version 2 or some similar outdated version. To update to the latest version, we will use the Homebrew Package manager. It is one of the best and convenient methods to install Python on macOS. Both python 2x and 3x can stay installed in a MAC. Mac comes with python 2x version. To check the default python version in your MAC, open the terminal and type-python -version However to check, if you have already installed any of python 3x versions, you need to type. Python3 -version If you don't then go ahead and install it with the installer.

How To Update Python Path In Mac

Mac OS X comes with Python 2.7 out of the box.

You do not need to install or configure anything else to use Python 2. Theseinstructions document the installation of Python 3.

Accelerometerdll. The version of Python that ships with OS X is great for learning, but it's notgood for development. The version shipped with OS X may be out of date from theofficial current Python release,which is considered the stable production version.

Doing it Right¶

Let's install a real version of Python.

Before installing Python, you'll need to install GCC. GCC can be obtainedby downloading Xcode, the smallerCommand Line Tools (must have anApple account) or the even smaller OSX-GCC-Installerpackage.

Note

If you already have Xcode installed, do not install OSX-GCC-Installer.In combination, the software can cause issues that are difficult todiagnose.

Note

If you perform a fresh install of Xcode, you will also need to add thecommandline tools by running xcode-select--install on the terminal.

While OS X comes with a large number of Unix utilities, those familiar withLinux systems will notice one key component missing: a package manager.Homebrew fills this void.

To install Homebrew, open Terminal oryour favorite OS X terminal emulator and run

The script will explain what changes it will make and prompt you before theinstallation begins.Once you've installed Homebrew, insert the Homebrew directory at the topof your PATH environment variable. You can do this by adding the followingline at the bottom of your ~/.profile file

If you have OS X 10.12 (Sierra) or older use this line instead

Now, we can install Python 3:

This will take a minute or two.

Pip¶

Homebrew installs pip pointing to the Homebrew'd Python 3 for you.

Working with Python 3¶

At this point, you have the system Python 2.7 available, potentially theHomebrew version of Python 2 installed, and the Homebrewversion of Python 3 as well.

will launch the Homebrew-installed Python 3 interpreter.

will launch the Homebrew-installed Python 2 interpreter (if any).

will launch the Homebrew-installed Python 3 interpreter.

Upgrade Python Mac Os

If the Homebrew version of Python 2 is installed then pip2 will point to Python 2.If the Homebrew version of Python 3 is installed then pip will point to Python 3.

The rest of the guide will assume that python references Python 3.

How To Install Python In Macbook Air

Pipenv & Virtual Environments¶

The next step is to install Pipenv, so you can install dependencies and manage virtual environments.

A Virtual Environment is a tool to keep the dependencies required by different projectsin separate places, by creating virtual Python environments for them. It solves the'Project X depends on version 1.x but, Project Y needs 4.x' dilemma, and keepsyour global site-packages directory clean and manageable.

For example, you can work on a project which requires Django 1.10 while alsomaintaining a project which requires Django 1.8.

So, onward! To the Pipenv & Virtual Environments docs!

This page is a remixed version of another guide,which is available under the same license.

Knowing how to update Python is important if you want to ensure you have access to the latest features, bug-fixes, and security. So how do you keep up with the times? This post will show you how.

Also read: How to round in Python

The easy part: how to update Python

Updating Python is the easy part. Simply head over to the website and then download the latest version of the interpreter:

This will download an installer, and when you run that file, you'll be taken through the next steps. Seeing as you want to know how to update Python, chances are high you already have an older version installed on your machine. In that case, you will be prompted to update and… that's it.

Easy!

If you don't already have Python installed on your machine, then you should check out our guide for that here:

What version of Python should you use?

At the time of writing, the newest version of Python is Python 3.8.4. This provides a number of bug fixes over previous versions and some security updates. It was released last October.

If you're planning on learning Python, this is the version that you should use. So what is the confusion?

Well, for a long time, there was a debate in the coding community as to whether developers should learn Python 2 or Python 3. This confusion stemmed from the fact that, although Python 3 was newer, a lot of modules, frameworks, documentation, and even organizations had not made the switch.

For example, the Google App Engine is a service that allows developers to create web apps using Python and other tools that will run across multiple Google-managed data centers. Sites like Khanacademy.org use Google App Engine, for example.

Also read: What is Python and how do you get started?

Until two years ago, Google App Engine only supported Python 2. Therefore, if you wanted to build an app that ran on this service, you needed to use Python 2 and not Python 3.

The fact that Python 2.7 was the 'endpoint' also helped in many cases where modules hadn't caught up to the latest version of Python 3.

How To Update Python Version In Mac

But things are different now. Python is far less fragmented than it used to be, and support for Python 2.7 has now officially ended.

That means that it would be wisest for any new developer to start with Python 3. Moreover, developers currently working with Python 2 should probably make the switch as well.

There are many ways that Python 3 is superior:

Python 64 Bit Download

  • Python 3 has better Unicode support
  • Python 3 supports typing which can be useful for large, complex projects
  • Newer versions of Python are typically faster
  • There is now greater community support for Python 3
  • Small syntax changes make Python 3 slightly easier for beginners

What next?

So now you know how to update Python to the latest version, it's time to get your hands on Python 3! Next, why not take your learning further with an online course?

A great choice for beginners is Python for Everybody. You can find this and many other courses over at our guide to the best online Python courses.





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