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Start With Orange

To start Orange Scripting, you will need to download and install Orange. Notice that Python installation comes in two flavors: Python itself, or Python embedded within ActiveState environment. We recommend you to install the later. The biggest bonus is a free editor, called PythonWin, with code completion feature. Orange and Orange modules come with many keywords for classes and methods, and it helps if editor can help you find the right names for them. Here is a partial snapshot of PythonWin with this feature:

Orange in PythonWin

Once you have installed Python and Orange, open the Command Prompt (usually at Start->Programs->Accessories menu), type python, and once you get Python’s prompt (“>>>”) type “import orange” and press <Return> (or <Enter>; whatever the biggest key on your keyboard is). If Python does not complain (like in the window below), you have just successfully completed the installation. Press <Ctrl><Z> followed by <Return> to exit Python.

Orange and Python from DOS Prompt

If you have ActiveState Python (which we recommend), than you may try to run PythonWin (Start->ActiveState ActivePython->PythonWin Environment). Go to its Interactive Window (this should open by itself within PythonWin window), and on prompt “>>>” type “import orange”. If this worked through Command Prompt, it should work here as well. To try to see how keyword completion works, start typing orange.sys.version and see how PythonWin can help you with that (type <tab> if you like what PythonWin proposes). Always type <Enter> or <Return> at the end of the command line!

The Interactive Window of PythonWin has a nice property that if you find some line with a command that you have already entered, move cursor on any part of it and then press return, it will open a new command line with exactly the same command and allow to edit it.

Now enough with the basics on Python environment. Let’s start using Orange and first see how to read a data file.



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