Check if Python (interpreter) is already installed

Since you installed Jupyter earlier, there's a good chance Python is already on your system. If you have a Python version installed on your computer, this usually automatically means that an interpreter is also installed. You can check by running:

On Windows (Command Prompt or PowerShell):

python --version

If Python is installed, this will display the version number.

Additionally, you can check your installed Python versions in Visual Studio:

1. Open Visual Studio
2. Go to View → Other Windows → Python Environments
3. It will list all installed Python versions detected by Visual Studio

Difference between interpreter and environment

Python Interpreter: This is the core program that runs Python code (e.g., python.exe on Windows).

Python Environment: This is a workspace that contains different packages, dependencies, and settings, but it still requires an interpreter to function. (e.g., System-wide Python installation, Virtual Environments, Conda Environments)

Installing a Python Interpreter in Visual Studio

Follow these steps:

1. Open Visual Studio
2. Go to Tools > Get Tools and Features
3. In the installer, select Python development and install it
4. Once installed, go to Tools > Options > Python > Environments
5. Click Add Environment and choose a Python interpreter to use (it might be a bit confusing that you have to choose an interpreter as an environment, but the interpreter is the core file of the environment)