🔹 Challenge Overview
Before diving into the world of web scraping, you need the right tools in place. This challenge walks you through installing Python and Visual Studio Code (VS Code), and running your very first program: the classic “Hello World”.
Why it matters:
Every scraper you’ll build depends on Python and a reliable coding environment. By setting this up properly now, you create a solid foundation for all the challenges ahead.
Difficulty level: Beginner
🔹 Expected Input & Output
- Input: Fresh installation of Python + VS Code, a short Python script.
- Output: Program prints
"Hello, World!"to the terminal.
🔹 Tools & Requirements
- Python (download from python.org)
- Visual Studio Code (download from code.visualstudio.com)
- Extensions: Python extension for VS Code
🔹 Step-by-Step Challenge Tasks
Task 1 → Install Python
- Go to python.org/downloads.
- Download the latest stable version for your OS.
- During installation, make sure to check “Add Python to PATH.”
👉 Importance: Without this, Python won’t run from your terminal.
Task 2 → Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
- Go to code.visualstudio.com.
- Download and install VS Code.
- Open VS Code → install the Python extension (search “Python” in Extensions marketplace).
👉 Importance: VS Code gives you debugging, syntax highlighting, and smooth project management.
Task 3 → Write Your First Python Script
- Open VS Code, create a new file:
hello.py. - Type this code:
print("Hello, World!") - Save the file.
Task 4 → Run the Program
- Open VS Code’s terminal (
Ctrl + ~or View → Terminal). - Run:
python hello.py - You should see:
Hello, World!
👉 Importance: This confirms your setup works — you can now run Python scripts!
Here is a YouTube video that shows how to install Python and VS Code :
🔹 Extensions / Variations
- Change the text to your name →
print("Hello, PuzzleScraper!") - Try multiple prints →
print("Step 1: Installed Python") print("Step 2: Installed VS Code") print("Step 3: Hello, World!") - Explore running the same script directly from your system terminal (outside VS Code).
🔹 Why VS Code and Python?
The Power of Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
VS Code isn’t just a text editor — it’s a lightweight, customizable, and versatile coding environment. For web scraping and automation projects, it offers:
- Integrated terminal to run your Python scripts without leaving the editor.
- Extensions marketplace with tools like linters, debuggers, Git integration, and Jupyter notebooks.
- Cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Beginner-friendly but also powerful enough for advanced developers managing larger scraping systems.
In short, VS Code grows with you — from your very first “Hello, World!” to managing multi-file scraping projects with databases and APIs.
Why Python Is the King of Web Scraping
Python is the go-to language for scraping, APIs, and data workflows because of its:
- Readable syntax that makes it easy to learn, even for beginners.
- Huge ecosystem of libraries such as Requests, BeautifulSoup, Selenium, Playwright, and Scrapy.
- Strong data handling with pandas, JSON, and CSV support for cleaning and storing scraped results.
- Large, active community with tutorials, Q&A forums, and open-source projects that provide quick solutions.
For web scraping, Python strikes the perfect balance: beginner-friendly for small projects and powerful enough to handle large-scale, production-level systems.