You use a tool to convert your HDL code (Verilog, VHDL or something else) to a bitstream which then needs to be sent to the FPGA to configure its components. Mo

You use a tool to convert your HDL code (Verilog, VHDL or something else) to a bitstream which then needs to be sent to the FPGA to configure its components. Most of these tools and the bitstream formats are proprietary. So, for Intel you want to download Quartus, and for Xilinx you want Vivado. Both are free but I have only used Vivado, which you only need to buy if you want to use it with very expensive FPGAs. After the bitstream has been generated, you need connect your board to your computer to send the bitstream to it, and the board handles the FPGA's interface to actually program it. As a consumer you can buy bare FPGA chips and make your own board, but for learning and prototyping you probably want to just buy a development board. Digilent has some very nice ones with various peripherals.