This is a book that will show you how to make computer games. All you need is a computer, some software called the Python Interpreter, and this book. The software is free. You can download it at no charge from the Internet. This book will show you how to set up your computer and program a few games. Once you learn how these games work, you will be able to use that knowledge to create games of your own.
When I was a kid, I found a book like this that taught me how to write my first programs and games. It was fun and easy. Now as an adult, I still have fun programming computers as a job, and I get paid for it. But even if you don't become a computer programmer when you grow up, programming is a useful and fun skill to have. (I still sometimes invent my own computer games.)
Computers are very useful machines. In the future, knowing how to program a computer will become as useful as knowing how to read a book. The good news is that learning to program isn't as hard as learning to read. If you can read this book, you can program a computer.
To tell a computer what you want it to do, that is, to program a computer, you will need to learn the computer's language. There are many different programming languages: Basic, Java, Python, Pascal, Haskell, and C++ (pronounced, "see plus plus").
The book I read when I was a kid taught me Basic programming. Back then, most people who started to learn programming would learn to program in Basic. But new programming languages have been invented since then. This book is about Python programming. Python is even easier to learn than Basic. Not only is it easy, but it is also a serious and useful programming language. Many adults use Python in their own jobs and hobbies. That’s why I chose to make this book about Python programming.
You might want the help of an adult or someone else to download and install the Python software.
The software that runs programs you write is called an interpreter. The interpreter that runs programs written in the Python language is called the Python interpreter. You can download this interpreter from this website:
http://www.python.org
Click on the Download link on the left side of the web page.
On the download page, click on the Python 2.5.1 Windows Installer to download the Python interpreter for Windows. There may be newer versions by the time you read this book. If so, you can download the new version and the programs in this book will still work.
Double-click on the python-2.5.1.msi file that you've just downloaded. This will start the Python installer.
All you need to do is click the Next button. The default choices in the installer are just fine.
When the install is finished, click Finish.
You may have to restart your computer. You should save any work you have in any other programs that are running, then click Yes. Then you will be ready to start programming!
The games we'll create may seem simple compared to games you’ve played on the XBox, Playstation, or Wii. These games don’t have fancy graphics or music. But games don’t have to be very complicated to be fun. And unlike those video game consoles, you can always get more games by creating them yourself for free. All you need is a computer and this book.
Okay, let’s get started!
Things Covered In This Chapter:
- Downloading and installing the Python interpreter.