Learn Python With Minecraft — Part 1: Setting Up The Environment

Some people say that learning to program a computer can teach you how to think. Some of the benefits of coding are the development of structured and creative thinking, it can make things easier for you at your job, and by learning to code you learn persistence. I would say that being able to program a computer is the closest thing to having superpowers.

As a high school Computer Science teacher, I have noticed how many talented students, when exposed to coding, quickly develop a passion for it. For that reason, and to help many more people to experience this fantastic field, I have decided to create this video course.

So if you currently are a student, a professional seeking a change of career, or just a person curious about Computer Science, this course is the right course for you, as it will teach you programming from scratch, using the popular language Python, while solving complex problems on a simulated world within the Minecraft game.

Why use Minecraft, a popular game, to teach coding? Simply, most coding courses rely on uninteresting problems to practice learned concepts. Some examples are the classic temperature conversion, the calculation of Fibonacci numbers or factorials, etc. Many learners will feel that there is no point in solving such problems, which might affect motivation. Games like Minecraft are a different story, as they allow you to use the learned coding skills to manipulate elements of the game, get immediate visual feedback, and get a nice rush of dopamine.

By the end of this course, you will understand fundamental programming concepts and you will have learned the Python programming language. From there, you should be able to follow any path you wish, like learning about databases, creating web apps or even Artificial Intelligence. You will be only limited by your imagination. What are you waiting for?

The very first thing to do is to get the entire Python-Minecraft environment up and running. Follow the videos below for step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Installing Minecraft

Step 2: Installing Python

Step 3: Installing Java

Step 4: Installing the Minecraft API and Server

Step 5: Running Spigot and Creating a Game

Step 6: Creating a New World

Step 7: Getting to Know IDLE

Step 8: Testing the Minecraft and Python Setup

If you followed all the steps without issues, your environment is ready and you are about to start developing your superpowers. Check out part 2 and start learning about Variables!

This article is the first in a series that I will be writing as part of my Learn Python With Minecraft video course. The course will have about 12 parts and each part will be published as it is created.

You can see the second part of the course here.

Code for all parts can be found here.

Your feedback is appreciated. If you like the course, please share and clap. Thanks!