> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arc.cdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Prerequisites

> Platform-specific prerequisites for enabling Python scripting in CData Arc on Java and .NET environments.

To write and execute Python within CData Arc, you must install some platform-specific dependencies on the server hosting Arc. The prerequisites vary depending on whether you are running Arc in a [Java](#java) or [.NET](#net) environment.

## Java

To enable Python support on Java, install the following dependencies:

* Python 3: Download and install a supported Python release (3.10 or higher) from the [Python website](https://www.python.org/downloads/).
* Java Embedded Python (Jep) version 4.2.2

### Installing Jep for Java

Jep is a library that allows you to embed the Python interpreter into Java applications. It enables two-way integration between Java and Python, which lets Java programs run Python code, share variables, and even call functions across languages.

You can find Jep and installation instructions on the [Jep GitHub page](https://github.com/ninia/jep).

> [!NOTE]
>
> Before you can install Jep, you need to install `pip`.

* For Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions, `pip` can typically be installed using the following command: `sudo apt-get install python3-pip`.
* For other distributions, refer to the appropriate documentation for `pip` installation.

Once Python and `pip` are installed, install Jep using this command: `python3 -m pip install jep==4.2.2`

> [!NOTE]
>
> On some Linux distributions, `pip` might install Jep to `/usr/local/lib64/python3.6/site-packages/jep/` rather than the expected `<PythonHome>/lib/site-packages/jep/` path. If Arc cannot locate Jep automatically, set the **LibraryPath** environment variable to point to the actual Jep installation directory.

### Configure Your Environment

The final prerequisite step is to set a system environment variable that enables Arc to find your Python installation.

Set the `PYTHONHOME` environment variable to the root directory of your Python installation. This tells Arc where to find the Python interpreter on your system.

## .NET

The necessary dependencies to enable Python support on .NET come packaged with the application. You only need to:

* Python 3: Download and install a supported Python release (3.7-3.13) from the [Python website](https://www.python.org/downloads/).
* Set the `PYTHONHOME` environment variable to the root directory where you installed Python 3. This tells Arc where to find the Python interpreter on your system.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Arc is compatible with Python releases 3.7-3.13. Later versions of Python cause the application to error.


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