<aside> 💡
10 minutes of setup saves 100 hours of pain.
</aside>
VS Code + two extensions. Without them, VS Code treats Python like plain text. No autocomplete, no error highlighting, nothing.
Install VS Code from code.visualstudio.com
Verify Python is installed:
python --version
No version number? Download from python.org.
Extensions (open Extensions sidebar in VS Code):
| Extension | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Python (Microsoft) | Run and debug support |
| Pylance (Microsoft) | Autocomplete, type checking, error detection |
| Task | What to do |
|---|---|
| Editor | VS Code |
| Verify Python | python --version |
| Extension 1 | Python (by Microsoft) |
| Extension 2 | Pylance (by Microsoft) |
Python's default tooling is a mess. You need pip to install, venv to isolate, virtualenv as an alternative, and none of them talk to each other. UV replaces all of them. One tool. One command. Everything handled.
| Old way | The problem |
|---|---|
pip |
No project isolation, no lock file |
venv + pip |
Two tools, manual activation |
pipenv |
Slow, complex |
poetry |
Better, but still slow |
| UV | All of the above, fast |
Install:
pip install uv