Python installation on Windows: would recommending a standard or Microsoft Store installation instead of Anaconda be easier for new Python users?

[remlapmot]

Currently the docs, here, suggest Windows users to install Anaconda to obtain Python.

This can cause the following confusion for users who are new to Python:

• under the default Anaconda installation process the Anaconda3 folder is not added to the PATH environment variable
• the new user opens their repo in VSCode but doesn't realise that they additionally need to launch the Anaconda Prompt (and change its directory to their repo); instead they try to run pip install opensafely in the VSCode Terminal (which will be running Powershell or cmd) which fails (because pip is not on their PATH, because the Anaconda3 folder wasn't added to PATH).

My guess is that recommending either a standard Python installation, making sure to check the box during the installation process to Add Python 3.# to PATH, or installing one of the Python 3s from the Microsoft Store, e.g., 3.10 is here, would probably be easier for new Python users.