How to Run Python in IntelliJ IDEA [Complete Guide]

Install Python Plugin for IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ doesn’t support Python by default, so you’ll need to install a plugin first.

Steps

1. Launch IntelliJ IDEA
2. Go to File > Settings (or Ctrl+Alt+S)
3. Select Plugins from the left menu
4. In the Marketplace tab, search for “Python”
5. Install Python Community Edition or similar
6. Restart IntelliJ after installation

Configure Python SDK (Interpreter)

You need to specify a Python runtime environment (SDK) so your project can use Python correctly.

Steps

1. When creating a new project, select Python from the left side of the New Project dialog
2. Specify your Python interpreter in Project SDK
   • If you can’t specify one yet, click “Add Interpreter”
   • Select a locally installed Python
     • Example: /usr/bin/python3 (Mac/Linux) or C:\Python310\python.exe (Windows)

Create a Python File

Let’s create a file to write your Python script.

Steps

1. Right-click in your project → New > Python File
2. Enter a filename (e.g., main.py)
3. Write your Python code!

Run Python Code

Time to run your program!

Execution Methods

• Right-click on the file → Run ‘filename’
• Or click the green ▶ button in the code

The execution results will be displayed in the “Run” tab at the bottom of the screen.

Optional Enhancements for Better Experience

• Code completion (IntelliSense) is automatically enabled
• Debugger is also available! (Place breakpoints and step through execution)
• Built-in Terminal, so you can quickly use pip commands and more

If you want to further enhance your programming efficiency, check out our Practical Guide to Google Gemini Code Assist! It provides detailed explanations about AI-powered code development support tools.

Summary

Personal Insights

Differences from PyCharm

By adding plugins to IntelliJ, you can develop in Python at almost the same level as PyCharm. However, if you need advanced professional features (like profilers), PyCharm Professional Edition might be more convenient.

Virtual Environments (venv) Recommended!

Creating a virtual environment for each project helps avoid issues with package version conflicts. If you’re interested in development environment setup, you might find our article on How to Reinstall WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2) helpful!

Benefits of Standardizing on IntelliJ

If you want to work with Java, Kotlin, web technologies, and Python together, managing everything in IntelliJ is super convenient!

Related Links

• Official Documentation (English): Python Support in IntelliJ IDEA