Before getting started with pTree, you need the following.
You will write your pTree apps in Python. Install version 2.7 (not 3.X).
Python is an easy-to-learn yet powerful and versatile programming language. It is also very popular and has a great ecosystem of tutorials, libraries, and tools.
You must have intermediate knowledge of Python to use pTree. You should at least understand the basics of procedural and object-oriented programming: control structures (e.g., if, while, for), data structures (lists, hashes/dictionaries), variables, classes and objects.
If you have programmed before in another programming language like Java, C#, C++, or Ruby, Python will be very easy for you to pick up. Experience with scientific languages like R, Matlab, or Stata can also help, but there will be more new concepts to learn.
If you need to learn Python, I recommend Learn Python the Hard Way, which is available free online. Work your way up through Exercise 41: “Learning to Speak Object Oriented”. You can skip Exercises 11-17.
You will need Pip to install packages. Install it and make sure you can run commands like pip install django-ptree.
pTree is built on top of Django, which is the most popular web development framework for Python.
Install Django using the instructions here.
In the process of learning and using pTree, you will learn Django. To understand the core concepts of Django (and pTree), go to this page of the Django book and read until the end of the section “The MVC design pattern”.