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Setting up Python

Get your computer ready to work with Python and your collection data

This page walks you through everything you need to work with our software from Python. You will install an editor, Python itself, the .NET platform our software runs on and the Double Dig IT Python SDK. Finally, you will run a short test script to check that everything works.

Allow about half an hour. Using a laptop managed by your organisation? Step 3 requires administrator rights, so you may want to ask your IT department for help. Stuck somewhere? The steps include a Not working? section that explains what to do.

This guide is for Windows. Using a Mac? See the steps for macOS.

Python
Step 1

Install Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free editor from Microsoft for writing, running and debugging Python scripts. It is lightweight and works well with both Python and .NET.

  1. Download VS Code for Windows from code.visualstudio.com/download.
  2. Open the downloaded file and follow the installer. The default settings are fine.
  3. Start VS Code and open Extensions from the bar on the left (or press Ctrl+Shift+X).
  4. Search for Python and install the Python extension by Microsoft.

Opening a terminal

In the next steps you will type a few commands in a terminal. In VS Code, open one from the View > Terminal menu, or press Ctrl+`. A line where you can type commands then appears at the bottom of the window.

The View menu in VS Code, with the Terminal option highlighted

Every code block on this page has a button to copy its contents. Paste the command into the terminal with Ctrl+V and press Enter.

Step 2

Install Python

Python is the programming language itself. On Windows, Python is now installed with the Python install manager from the official Python website.

  1. Go to python.org/downloads and click Download Python install manager.
  2. Open the downloaded file and click Install Python.
  3. Quit VS Code completely (every window) and start it again. VS Code only picks up newly installed programs after a restart.
  4. Install the latest version of Python with the first command for this step. If you are asked whether a directory may be added to your PATH: answer yes (y).
  5. Then check that Python works by asking for its version number.

Already have Python installed? Just check the version number. Version 3.11 or newer is fine.

Terminal: install Python
py install default
Terminal: check the version
python --version
Expected result
Python 3.15.0

A higher version number is fine too.

Not working?
The downloaded file won't open
On some laptops managed by organisations, Windows cannot open this type of installer (MSIX). Use the MSI package instead: go to python.org/downloads/windows and, under Python install manager, click Download MSI package. This package has no installer window of its own and may ask for administrator rights. Wait a moment after opening it, quit VS Code completely, start it again and continue with py install default.
py or python is not recognised
Close every VS Code window and start VS Code again. VS Code only picks up newly installed programs after a restart. Still not working? Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > App execution aliases and check that Python install manager and Python (default) are switched on. Does py work but python doesn't? Then you can use py instead of python everywhere on this page.
Message … is unavailable because this is the legacy py.exe command
An old Python Launcher from an earlier Python installation is still on your computer, and it takes priority over the install manager. The command below shows which py Windows uses. Does it show a path containing \Python\Launcher\ or C:\Windows\py.exe? Then, as the message itself suggests, remove only Python Launcher via Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Python versions already on your computer stay where they are. Restart VS Code afterwards.
Terminal: which py is used?
where.exe py
Step 3

Install the .NET 10 Runtime

Our software is built on .NET, Microsoft's software platform. To use it from Python, your computer needs the .NET 10 Runtime.

  1. Go to the .NET 10 Runtime download page.
  2. Under Run console apps, click Download x64. If your computer has an Arm processor, choose Download Arm64. The download then starts by itself.
  3. Open the downloaded file and click Install. This requires administrator rights.
  4. Quit VS Code completely (every window) and start it again. VS Code only picks up newly installed programs after a restart.
  5. Check the installation with the command for this step.

Already have the .NET 10 SDK? It includes the runtime, so you can skip this step.

Terminal: check .NET
dotnet --list-runtimes

The list should contain a line starting with Microsoft.NETCore.App 10.0, for example:

Expected result
Microsoft.NETCore.App 10.0.13 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Not working?
dotnet is not recognised
Close every VS Code window and start VS Code again. Still not working? Run the .NET installer again and check that the installation finished completely.
There is no line with Microsoft.NETCore.App 10.0 in the list
You do have .NET, but not version 10. Install the .NET 10 Runtime as described above. Other versions can stay installed.
Step 4

Install the Double Dig IT Python SDK

The Python SDK contains the software that lets Python work directly with your collection data. Python talks to this .NET software through the pythonnet package, which you also install in this step.

  1. Download the Python SDK using the button below.
  2. Right-click the zip file, choose Extract All and enter C:\ as the destination. This gives you the folder C:\DDigit-Python-SDK, containing a dotnet folder.
  3. Install pythonnet with the command for this step.
Download the Python SDK

Prefer a different location? That's fine. Just remember where you put the SDK, because you will need that path in step 5.

Terminal: install pythonnet
python -m pip install pythonnet

The installation ends with a line starting with Successfully installed. Seeing Requirement already satisfied instead? Then pythonnet was already installed, which is fine too.

Step 5

Test your setup

Now everything comes together. You will create a working folder with two small Python files and run a test.

  1. Create a folder for your scripts, for example C:\Python-CollectionData, and open it in VS Code with File > Open Folder. If VS Code asks whether you trust the authors of the files in this folder, choose Yes, I trust the authors.
  2. Open the Explorer on the left (or press Ctrl+Shift+E). Next to the name of your folder, click the New File icon, type ddigit_bootstrap.py and press Enter.
  3. Paste the matching code into the file and save it with Ctrl+S. This file loads our software, so your own scripts only need to import it. Put the SDK somewhere else? Then change the path at sdkPath.
  4. Create the file test_setup.py in the same way, paste its matching code and save it.
  5. Make sure test_setup.py is open and click inside it. A play button (Run Python File) then appears in the top right of the editor, above the code. Click it. The play button in the top right of the VS Code editor, marked with an arrow You can also run the test script by typing python test_setup.py in the terminal.

Do you see the word "Success!" appear in the terminal? Then your computer is ready to work with Python and collection data.

ddigit_bootstrap.py
import osimport sys# change this path if you put the SDK somewhere elsesdkPath = r"C:\DDigit-Python-SDK\dotnet"# add the SDK folder to the Python search pathsys.path.insert(0, sdkPath)# load the .NET runtime with the configuration from the SDKfrom pythonnet import loadload("coreclr", entry_dll=os.path.join(sdkPath, "DDigit.PythonHost.dll"))# load the Double Dig IT DataProviderimport clrclr.AddReference(os.path.join(sdkPath, "DDigit.DataProvider.dll"))
test_setup.py
import sysimport ddigit_bootstrapfrom DDigit.DataProvider import DDataProviderdataProvider = DDataProvider()print("Python", sys.version.split()[0])print("Success! The Double Dig IT Python SDK is working.")
Expected result
Python 3.15.0
Success! The Double Dig IT Python SDK is working.
Not working?
I can't see the play button
The button only appears while a Python file is open and active. Click inside test_setup.py and check that the file has been saved with a name ending in .py. Is there a Restricted Mode notice at the top? Click it and choose to trust the folder. Also check that the Python extension from step 1 is installed. Or run the script from the terminal as described above.
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pythonnet'
Pythonnet is not yet installed for the Python version VS Code is using. Run the command from step 4 again. Then, in VS Code, press Ctrl+Shift+P > Python: Select Interpreter and choose the same Python version as in the terminal.
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'ddigit_bootstrap'
Python cannot find ddigit_bootstrap.py. Make sure it is in the same folder as test_setup.py and that the file name is spelled exactly right.
RuntimeError: Can not determine dotnet root
Python cannot find .NET. Usually the .NET 10 Runtime has not been installed yet, so go through step 3.
RuntimeError: Failed to create a .NET runtime (coreclr)
Python cannot find .NET or the SDK. Check that the folder in ddigit_bootstrap.py contains the file DDigit.DataProvider.dll. Make sure you did not accidentally create an extra folder while extracting, such as DDigit-Python-SDK\DDigit-Python-SDK. Is the path correct? Then check step 3 and restart VS Code.

Still stuck? Get in touch and include the full error message, and we will help you out.

All set? Then you're ready to go!

You can now work with your collection data directly from Python. Have a question, or want help with your first scripts? Feel free to get in touch.

Contact us

Sources

Learning Python

Want to learn more about Python itself? The official Python tutorial is a good place to start.

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