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I learned interactive python and it is so amazing

154 points · submitted Dec 2025 by u/Certain_Mastodon818

so any beginners like super beginners use this. it is so fun i was just so burned out (i am a beginner ).i just learned upto dictionaries and tuples . then i learned about pip , venv etc and i again find learning python so fun.thanks for everyone who suggested me this.

EDIT: By interactive python I mean learning python in a more hands-on way instead of just writing .py files and running them once.

What I used:

VS Code + Python extension
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python

Jupyter support in VS Code (this helped A LOT)
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-toolsai.jupyter

Virtual environments (venv)
https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html

pip (package manager)
https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/

Using Jupyter / interactive cells lets you run code line by line, see output instantly, test things quickly, and not get burned out.
After learning basics like lists, dicts, tuples, this made python feel fun again for me.

I’m still a beginner, but this really helped

EDIT: many of you guys are asking me about which video so https://youtu.be/ygXn5nV5qFc?si=-qDjy4_-YIpORX0g i was just watching this video and at the start while setting my vscoe i got to know these things

47 comments · 88% upvoted · other discussions

comments

Famous-Recognition62 16 points · Dec 2025

Do you have a link, or is it the first thing that comes up on Google?

These-South-8284 16 points · Dec 2025

Not sure what the OP is using, but I have found active skill to be pretty good with its interactive features.
Edit: Link https://www.activeskill.dev/

Particular-Yak-1434 7 points · Dec 2025

I just checked this out! Good resource right here for Python fundamentals. The point system is low key addictive.

I have been using LLMs to learn which is very similar to this, but the point system along with a better interface and user experience makes this a better way to go. I will also be checking out the other skills that they have offered on here. Thank you.

I am looking for something that trains you in APIs . Perhaps I should go back to Eric Matthes Python Crash Course. I am surprised that the book has not been turned into an interactive platform, then again maybe it has .

I feel like I am in this endless loop of learning dictionaries, loops, variables, etc. I learned Python without a computer only using texts such as Starch Publishers Python Crash Course by Eric Matthes . I am just now using VS Code or whatever for the first time. I feel that I understand the basics and fundamentals but no real programming. It's like learning the words of Spanish but not being able to order food in Spanish . Lol

Altruistic_Sky1866 2 points · Dec 2025

Thanks for sharing

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 0 points · Dec 2025

ok so i edited the information you can see what i meant

notParticularlyAnony 15 points · Dec 2025

What does this mean?

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] -4 points · Dec 2025

ok so i edited the information you can see what i meant

UsernameTaken1701 12 points · Dec 2025

"Found this great amazing thing! Not gonna tell you where tho lol"

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 1 points · Dec 2025

my bad bro ok so i edited the information you can see what i meant

DBZ_Newb 27 points · Dec 2025

How does this vague-ass useless post have so many likes?

Juan-D-Aguirre 15 points · Dec 2025

Probably the unrestrained positivity

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] -2 points · Dec 2025

ok so i edited the information you can see what i meant

MarsupialLeast145 6 points · Dec 2025

links pls!

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] -5 points · Dec 2025

ok so i edited the information you can see what i meant

Particular-Yak-1434 7 points · Dec 2025

So what's the resource?

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 0 points · Dec 2025

ok so i edited the information you can see what i meant

metasophie 5 points · Dec 2025

Using Jupyter / interactive cells lets you run code line by line, see output instantly, test things quickly, and not get burned out.

If you thought that was cool. Check out https://thonny.org/

Groomsi 2 points · Dec 2025

Can you list the interactive stuff you used for learning?

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 2 points · Dec 2025

ok so i edited the information you can see what i meant

[deleted] 2 points · Dec 2025

[removed]

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 2 points · Dec 2025

umm 1 hr or more

Chibi24 2 points · Dec 2025

What do you use?

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 0 points · Dec 2025

vscode

Chibi24 3 points · Dec 2025

Vs code is just an ide right? (A place to do code). What dictionaries did you use? & tuples and others you mentioned, aren’t those like not beginner terms? As a beginner myself, none of these terms I am understanding…

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 1 points · Dec 2025

so dictonaries is a normal list like variable .you can check out the links i send and just explore it maybe from chatgpt i myself am a beginner so i did the same and it just make programmable worskpace (lets say vscode) easy like you can run individual line,api is super fun just look in chatgpt i am unable to explain

Particular-Yak-1434 1 points · Dec 2025

I've used kaggle, LLMs, I really like using Chat GPT and Gemini to walk me through lessons in Python and using guided learning options and visual learning, it is nice to be able to have a conversation while learning. Be sure not to get too far off track though like I do.

Someone else just posted the skill dev link or whatever above, sorry I'm on my phone or else I would have grabbed it for you, that link above is good.

I think hugging face has a free interactive learning course.

Kaggle.com/learn/python LearnPython.org Pychallenger.com FutureCoder.io

I haven't been using Kaggle lately and I'm kicking myself. I for some reason jumped around trying different platforms and providers and should have just stuck with Kaggle. Kaggle is popular in the Python data science ecosystem.

Programming with Mosh are good videos on YouTube, but the interactive learning I believe is far superior, but I like to turn on the Mosh videos when eating lunch etc.

Freecodecamp.org

Get one and stick with it . I don't know why I even left Kaggle

EnthusiasmHot5037 2 points · Dec 2025

I've been learning Python for a year, and now in 2026, I want to stop training and start earning money, but I'm a bit lost.

Tr4nsP0rt3 2 points · Dec 2025

Hi, For me best path are Roadmap.sh/python

Tr4nsP0rt3 3 points · Dec 2025

https://roadmap.sh/python

Altruistic_Sky1866 2 points · Dec 2025

Which source/materiel/search engine/webs site/YouTube channel , fi you mention those it will be more helpful to beginners and others did you use to learn the stuff from. What you posted are links to IDE tool and beginners may or may not understand virtual environment and virtual environment may not be needed if you are not working on multiple projects that may use different version of python, pip is package manager for to install package, for a beginner learning lists, tuples, dicts pip is not needed, so if you share the links that you used to lean this stuff it help others as well ,and they will share more material /links which will help you as well

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 1 points · Dec 2025

https://youtu.be/ygXn5nV5qFc?si=-qDjy4_-YIpORX0g so i was watching this video and then at the starting while setting vscode i got to know these

Specialist_Golf8133 2 points · Jan 2026

That's awesome that you found a workflow that reignited your enthusiasm! Jupyter notebooks in VS Code are definitely a game-changer for beginners - being able to run code cells individually and see immediate results makes the learning curve much more manageable. Once you're comfortable with dictionaries and tuples, you might enjoy exploring pandas for data manipulation or matplotlib for visualization, both of which work beautifully in the interactive environment you've set up. Keep that momentum going!

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 1 points · Jan 2026

woahh i actually am doing that like matplotlib

Nekose 1 points · Dec 2025

Oh hey, it’s the same “13-year-old” bot again. I love the “realistic” use of typo spacing around commas and periods.

HeatherCDBustyOne 1 points · Dec 2025

What is Jupyter? Courses and forums mention it like it is some common knowledge thing. What is it???

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 0 points · Dec 2025

as far as i knpw a vscode extension that enables me to like run a single line individually

Jolly_Speed_340 1 points · Dec 2025

how did you learn it from 0? which order? im a cpmplete beginner and thinking of learning it in 'Automate the Boring Stuff with Python'

Certain_Mastodon818 [OP] 2 points · Jan 2026

so i learned basic upto tuples and dictionaries from brocode took me 2 to 3 hours then i was interested in ml so i watched the video that i put the link in the post

Qamar_17 1 points · Jan 2026

You can install Code Runner extension as well, you can run selected code

Specialist_Golf8133 1 points · Jan 2026

Jupyter notebooks in VS Code are such a game-changer for learning Python! That immediate feedback loop where you can run each cell individually really helps concepts stick. I had a similar experience when I first discovered the interactive approach - it made experimenting with new concepts so much more engaging than the write-run-debug cycle. Once you're comfortable with dictionaries and tuples, try playing with some data visualization libraries in your Jupyter notebooks - it's incredibly satisfying to see your code generate charts instantly.

games-and-chocolate 1 points · Dec 2025

learn about things: website api, json, html, database, all in conjunction with python.

if you build a website with html, css, javascript, it can invoke python to get data to and from database. freq a API is used to access it. do some searching, this is really advanced stuff.

if you like a complete course: check out a pay site. Udemy and search for angela 100 day python.

if not want to pay: try to use free account at armadeus to program an UI python program that access the armadeus web API. you can access real time flight data and even book flights. they have a test enviroment for programmers too.

leothelion634 1 points · Dec 2025

Isnt this just the definition of having a GUI?

ProsodySpeaks 1 points · Dec 2025

Glad you're having fun and making progress.

Tl:Dr: you should learn to use the debugger in your ide. Sounds like you're at the point where it would be very useful for onwards growth. 

Fwiw I use Pycharm but am sure same is true in vsc... using the debugger you can step through code -even complex code - and see and edit all variables during runtime. 

With the program paused you can browse through all the stack frames and inspect what everything is doing in your own - and also imported - code.

Personally I think it's a way more powerful way to interact with a program than Jupiter. Afaik Jupiter is most useful for sharing with non or weak programmers (here's looking at you data scientists/engineers) who don't have an interest in really learning to write python.

I asked llm what they thought of this reply and they suggested adding this:

"Jupyter is great for exploration, teaching, and presenting results. For understanding, debugging, and maintaining real programs, a proper debugger in an IDE is vastly more powerful and scales to complexity in a way notebooks don’t." 

0n0n0m0uz -16 points · Dec 2025

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