How do I run a python interpreter in Emacs?

Question

I just downloaded GNU emacs23.4, and I already have python3.2 installed in Windows7.

I have been using Python IDLE to edit python files.

The problem is that I can edit python files with Emacs but I do not know how to run python interpreter in Emacs. When i click on "switch to interpreter", then it says "Searching for program: no such file or directory, python"

Someone says i need to make some change on .emacs file, but i do not know where to look for.

And I am very unexperienced and just started to learn programming. I am not familiar with commonly used terminologies. I have been searching for solutions but most of the articles i find on the Internet only confuse me.

so the questions are:

1. how do i run python interpreter in Emacs?
2. are there different kind of python interpreter? if so, why do they have different interpreters for one language?

Answer 1

Place this in your .emacs file to set the location of your python interpreter:

 (setq python-shell-interpreter "path\to\your\python3.2")

Emacs comes with good manuals and an info mode to help read them. To learn more about .emacs you can use:

M-: (info "(Emacs)Init file") RET.

Answer 2

C-c C-z can do this. It is the key-binding for the command python-switch-to-python

Answer 3

In emacs 25.3.1 I use this to open up a python shell:

M-x run-python

After first adding this to my .emacs file:

(setq python-shell-interpreter "/usr/local/bin/python3")

Answer 4

IF you have python installed, try M-x python-shell (press and hold ALT while pressing x, then type python-shell, then press enter)

There are different language implementations if that is what you are asking (see a list of them here).

Answer 5

In emacs 24.5.1 with spacemacs 105 (develop branch) and the Python layer enabled ("layer" is a spacemacs concept; see their documentation), I find python-shell-switch-to-shell opens an IPython buffer. I tested macropy.console in such a buffer and it works great.