Install Python

Python is required for most Data Science and backend projects. Follow these steps for a clean installation.

1. Download Python 3.8 or newer from python.org. Choose the installer for your OS.
2. Run the installer. Enable "Add Python to PATH" so the command is available in the terminal.
3. Verify: open a terminal and run python --version (or python3 --version on Linux/macOS).
4. Install project dependencies from the project root: pip install -r requirements.txt (use pip3 if needed).

For virtual environments (recommended): python -m venv venv, then activate and run pip install -r requirements.txt.