Getting Started
===============

This chapter provides instructions on how to get started with ChemApp for
Python. This includes downloading the required software, installing it, and
confirming that the installation was successful.

There are a number of ways to install Python in preparation for using ChemApp
for Python. These include doing a bare Python installation, installing Anaconda,
and using Python virtual environments. The procedures for installing ChemApp for
Python through these methods on both Windows and Linux are provided in this
section.

We strongly recommend that you use Anaconda and Pycharm or Visual Studio Code
when starting out working with ChemApp for Python. These tools make the initial
learning curve just a little bit easier, more user friendly, and quicker.

The following components must be installed:

#. Anaconda Python distribution
#. PyCharm Community IDE / Microsoft VSCode
#. ChemApp for Python package

**Note:** The order of the installation is important, and should be done as
shown in the list above.


.. include:: get-installation-files.rst
.. include:: install-software.rst
.. include:: import-chemapppy-components.rst
.. include:: getting-help.rst