First, you need to understand Python, PyCharm, Anaconda, and Miniconda. What are they? What is their relationship?Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language. It is known for its concise and readable syntax and strong community support, widely used in web development, data science, artificial intelligence, automation, and more. It is the foundation of all these applications. Without the Python interpreter, you cannot run any Python code.Anaconda is a distribution for Python data science. It is not just a Python interpreter, but also a software platform that integrates a large number of third-party libraries for data science (such as NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, Jupyter, etc.) and a powerful package and environment management tool called Conda. Installing Anaconda means installing the Python interpreter, Conda, over 180 scientific packages, and their dependencies all at once. It is very suitable for beginners to quickly set up a data science environment and avoid complex dependency issues, as it comes pre-installed with many libraries.Miniconda is the mini version of Anaconda. It only includes the two core components: the Python interpreter and the Conda package management tool. It does not come pre-installed with any other scientific computing libraries. You can start from a clean Python environment and install specific packages using conda or pip according to your actual needs, thus creating a customized environment. It is suitable for users who have disk space constraints or prefer to have control over their environment. Compared to Anaconda, its installation package is much smaller.PyCharm is a powerful Python Integrated Development Environment (IDE) developed by JetBrains. It is not a language or environment, but a tool for writing code, debugging, running, and managing projects. It provides many features such as code auto-completion, intelligent suggestions, a debugger, version control integration (like Git), project management, and virtual environment management, making programming work easier.Then, consider: what do you think is the most professional combination for installation? The answer is: Miniconda + PyCharm, or Anaconda + PyCharm, this method is both flexible and powerful. Some may ask, does Python need to be installed separately? The answer is: no, it does not need to be installed separately because Miniconda or itself includes the Python interpreter. You only need to download Anaconda/Miniconda and PyCharm, and then configure Anaconda/Miniconda in PyCharm as its runtime environment. The main steps are as follows:
Step 1: Install Miniconda (or Anaconda)
Step 2: Use Conda to create and manage environments
Step 3: Install PyCharm
Step 4: Configure PyCharm to use the Conda environment