Now you have all requirements met, the next topic will guide you on how to start your first project.

This guide will help you on the first steps using ESP-IDF. Follow this guide to start a new project on the {IDF_TARGET_NAME} and build, flash, and monitor the device output.

.. note::

    If you haven't yet installed the ESP-IDF, please go to :ref:`get-started-step-by-step` and follow the instruction in oder to get all the software needed to use this guide.

Start a Project
===================

Now you are ready to prepare your application for {IDF_TARGET_NAME}. You can start with :example:`get-started/hello_world` project from :idf:`examples` directory in IDF.

.. important::

    The ESP-IDF build system does not support spaces in the paths to either ESP-IDF or to projects.

Copy the project :example:`get-started/hello_world` to ``~/esp`` directory:

.. code-block:: batch

    cd %userprofile%\esp
    xcopy /e /i %IDF_PATH%\examples\get-started\hello_world hello_world

.. note:: There is a range of example projects in the :idf:`examples` directory in ESP-IDF. You can copy any project in the same way as presented above and run it. It is also possible to build examples in-place, without copying them first.

Connect Your Device
===================

Now connect your {IDF_TARGET_NAME} board to the computer and check under what serial port the board is visible.

Serial ports start with COM in Windows.

If you are not sure how to check the serial port name, please refer to :doc:`establish-serial-connection` for full details.

.. note::

    Keep the port name handy as you will need it in the next steps.

Configure your Project
======================

Navigate to your ``hello_world`` directory, set {IDF_TARGET_NAME} chip as the target and run the project configuration utility ``menuconfig``.

Windows
~~~~~~~

.. code-block:: batch

    cd %userprofile%\esp\hello_world
    idf.py set-target {IDF_TARGET_PATH_NAME}
    idf.py menuconfig

Setting the target with ``idf.py set-target {IDF_TARGET_PATH_NAME}`` should be done once  after opening a new project. If the project contains some existing builds and configurations, they will be cleared and initialized. The target may be saved in the environment variable to skip this step at all. See :ref:`selecting-idf-target` for additional information.

If the previous steps have been done correctly, the following menu appears:

.. figure:: ../../_static/project-configuration.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Project configuration - Home window
    :figclass: align-center

    Project configuration - Home window

You are using this menu to set up project specific variables, e.g. Wi-Fi network name and password, the processor speed, etc. Setting up the project with menuconfig may be skipped for "hello_word". This example will run with default configuration.

.. only:: esp32

    .. attention::

        If you use ESP32-DevKitC board with the **ESP32-SOLO-1** module, or ESP32-DevKitM-1 board with the **ESP32-MIN1-1(1U)** module, enable single core mode (:ref:`CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE`) in menuconfig before flashing examples.

.. note::

    The colors of the menu could be different in your terminal. You can change the appearance with the option ``--style``. Please run ``idf.py menuconfig --help`` for further information.