Chapter 3. Using Python on Windows 22 3.3 The nuget.org packages 3.2 The Microsoft Store package Python Setup and Usage, Release 3.9.5 New in version 3.7.2. The Microsoft Store package is an easily installable Python interpreter that is intended mainly for interactive use, for example, by students. To install the package, ensure you have the latest Windows 10 updates and search the Microsoft Store app for “Python 3.9”. Ensure that the app you select is published by the Python Software Foundation, and install it. Warning: Python will always be available for free on the Microsoft Store. If you are asked to pay for it, you have not selected the correct package. After installation, Python may be launched by finding it in Start. Alternatively, it will be available from any Command Prompt or PowerShell session by typing$_{python}$. Further, pip and IDLE may be used by typing$_{pip}$ or$_{idle}$. IDLE can also be found in Start. All three commands are also available with version number suffixes, for example, as$_{python3.exe}$ and$_{python3.}$ x.exe as well as$_{python.exe}$(where$_{3.x}$ is the specific version you want to launch, such as 3.9). Open “Manage App Execution Aliases” through Start to select which version of Python is associated with each command. It is recommended to make sure that pip and idle are consistent with whichever version of python is selected. Virtual environments can be created with$_{python -m venv}$ and activated and used as normal. If you have installed another version of Python and added it to your$_{PATH}$ variable, it will be available as$_{python.}$ $_{exe}$rather than the one from the Microsoft Store. To access the new installation, use$_{python3.exe}$ or$_{python3.}$ x.exe . The$_{py.exe}$ launcher will detect this Python installation, but will prefer installations from the traditional installer. To remove Python, open Settings and use Apps and Features, or else find Python in Start and right-click to select Uninstall. Uninstalling will remove all packages you installed directly into this Python installation, but will not remove any virtual environments Because of restrictions on Microsoft Store apps, Python scripts may not have full write access to shared locations such as$_{TEMP}$ and the registry. Instead, it will write to a private copy. If your scripts must modify the shared locations, you will need to install the full installer. For more detail on the technical basis for these limitations, please consult Microsoft’s documentation on packaged full-trust apps, currently available at docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/desktop/desktop-to-uwp-behind-the- scenes New in version 3.5.2. The nuget.org package is a reduced size Python environment intended for use on continuous integration and build systems that do not have a system-wide install of Python. While nuget is “the package manager for .NET”, it also works perfectly fine for packages containing build-time tools. Visit nuget.org for the most up-to-date information on using nuget. What follows is a summary that is sufficient for Python developers. The$_{nuget.exe}$ command line tool may be downloaded directly from$_{https://aka.ms/nugetclidl}$ , for example, using curl or PowerShell. With the tool, the latest version of Python for 64-bit or 32-bit machines is installed using: 3.2.1 Known Issues