Recommend a full featured editor for Python

carebearboy · 2011-08-24 03:36:48

I am a beginner to programming besides having learned Qbasic about 15 years ago...

I'd like a programming tool that is integrated and allows me to start/stop and load different modules without either being stuck in python terminal fulltime or having to save on an editor and then run in terminal. I also want it to bring up available functions. So when I type "var." (or any other function or variable...) the functions pop up and allow me to choose. It would also be nice to have a popup of the variable's value. I know this is possible because I've seen a video on YouTube with python but it was on Windows machine. I think the program was python-ide or something close to that.

So far I've tried Komodo Edit 6 and it's okay for fiddling around, but it does not allow you to save using that program, and is severely lacking in features. I've tried a couple others and have searched the net to see a list of maybe 25+. It's so overwhelming that I thought I'd ask for a personal opinion and save myself the hours of downloading and compiling from AUR...

Please don't say Kate. Kate is awesome but it's useless to me because it cannot do the things I want it to.

... also, I watched about 20 tutorial videos on Youtube so far and programming seems likes riding a bike. It's all coming back so quick.

Nisstyre56 · 2011-08-24 03:47:07

IDLE, the IDE that comes with Python will bring up information about functions/methods/names/etc... and let you use the tab key to complete them. You can also run your programs with the F5 key, but you have to save the program.

I use SciTE, which can probably do the tab completion and info about functions and methods, but I haven't bothered to configure it. It doesn't make you save your program to run it though, so that's a plus. Probably the best feature is the integration with the Scintilla syntax highlighter http://www.scintilla.org/.

I don't know about showing the value of a variable, since that can be very ambiguous in Python (Python is dynamically typed, meaning the value of something isn't necessarily known until the program is run)

You should just try different programs till you find one that you like really.

Allan · 2011-08-24 03:48:44

eric

splittercode · 2011-08-24 03:51:40

I recommend PyDev, which is a plugin for Eclipse. It's one of, if not the most popular full-featured IDE for Python.

Pank · 2011-08-24 10:29:09

On the console; you might want to check out the new IPython qtconsole. It seems nice. Of course this is not IDE.

(PS: When I had a course on math. programming with Python the recommended Dr. Python or Gedit (or something like that). I don't know any of them).

austin.rbn · 2011-08-24 19:18:17

Eric or IDLE. Really do try Eric, because a lot of people claim it's the most full-featured Python IDE.

Earnestly · 2011-08-24 20:05:03

Surprised noone has mentioned vim. (pythoncomplete.vim, project.vim/NERDTree and the compiler plugin)

Nihathrael · 2011-08-24 20:16:58

If you want to have an awesome programming environment for python, use wingIDE. The personal version is not that feature complete I think, but you can get a professional license for free if you have a noteworthy open source project. It comes with vim and emacs keybindings, debugger, autocomplete, etc.

Otherwise pydev is not that bad and a properly configured vim will do the job as well

examon · 2011-08-24 20:39:28

Well, I must agree with Nihathrael.

Wing IDE is proprietary BUT:
-it's the best what I've seen for Python so far (I've tested idle, vim, emacs, eclipse, etc etc)
-you can use emacs or vim keybindings in Wing, you can modify them or create new one
-there are integrated so many good features in Wing (python shell, good debug I/O, you can execute shell commands in Wing, etc etc)
-it is highly customizable
-you can get it 100% for free if ur working on open source/free software project or ur student like me

vim, emacs.. they are fine.. I use them a lot but.. I would need to spend 50 hours of configuration vim/emacs to get exactly the same functionality as I've got with Wing

carebearboy · 2011-08-25 00:28:57

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments.

This is a little overwhelming for me. These are not the kind of 'turn-key' programs I usually run, as I found out.

IDLE, the IDE that comes with Python will bring up information about functions/methods/names/etc... and let you use the tab key to complete them. You can also run your programs with the F5 key, but you have to save the program.

I'm not sure how to get the program running. If i goto /usr/lib/python3.2/idlelib/ and try to access any program then SciTE pops up. Likely because I installed it. But I don't know how to get phyon IDE running. And I haven't been able to configure SciTE to list functions and variables as I type.

eric

I have eric running but I don't know how to configure it to automatically display the available functions. Yes, I could look it up, but I'm new and I don't know exactly what to look for.

I recommend PyDev, which is a plugin for Eclipse. It's one of, if not the most popular full-featured IDE for Python.

After a while I got this one up and running. So far it seems to do everything I want it to, but it was a major pain to install. I like the fact that I don't have to save each time.

Surprised noone has mentioned vim. (pythoncomplete.vim, project.vim/NERDTree and the compiler plugin)

I may give this a try late sometime.

If you want to have an awesome programming environment for python, use wingIDE. The personal version is not that feature complete I think, but you can get a professional license for free if you have a noteworthy open source project. It comes with vim and emacs keybindings, debugger, autocomplete, etc.
Otherwise pydev is not that bad and a properly configured vim will do the job as well

I've installed wingIDE and it seems to have the best realtime help. By this I mean that if I type even a letter a big list comes up with tons of options and even some examples. But I get this error upon running a script:

Debugger: Could not start debug process::Could not debug unsaved file
Debugger: Listening for back-connection
Debugger: Connected to debug process
Debugger: Debug process running; pid=10993 [0 modules loaded]
Debugger: No debug process / not listening for connections

I've tried looking this up with Google. I either run into answers for Windows users or answers that are not details enough for me to fix it.

Anyways, it's been a long day, and I'm just getting myself frustrated. * sigh *

Thanks for all the comments. I appreciated all the comments even if I didn't go into detail answering them all. They have all be read and considered.

drcouzelis · 2011-09-04 18:36:08

carebearboy wrote:

IDLE, the IDE that comes with Python will bring up information about functions/methods/names/etc... and let you use the tab key to complete them. You can also run your programs with the F5 key, but you have to save the program.
I'm not sure how to get the program running. If i goto /usr/lib/python3.2/idlelib/ and try to access any program then SciTE pops up. Likely because I installed it. But I don't know how to get phyon IDE running. And I haven't been able to configure SciTE to list functions and variables as I type.

IDLE is installed in /usr/bin/idle. You can run it by typing "idle" in a terminal window.

I appreciate this thread and learning about new IDEs. I've always been a "use VIM for everything" kind of programmer, but I feel like I'm getting too old for that.

ewaller · 2011-09-04 20:50:49

Eric or Eclipse.

Slightly off topic, but do not pass up ipython3. It is a friendly interactive shell which provides the user much better insight to what is going on under the hood. It will really allow you to get in and explore the structure of things.

sidRo · 2011-09-07 17:17:02

Aptana

abarahc · 2011-09-07 21:06:33

geany?

ewaller · 2011-09-07 21:34:48

So, as is typical for this type of thread, there is no consensus. The OP has thanked us and we should probably give it a rest; Otherwise this thread is destined for "Topics Going Nowhere"
-ewaller

kennym · 2011-09-08 02:46:43

austin.rbn wrote:

Eric or IDLE. Really do try Eric, because a lot of people claim it's the most full-featured Python IDE.

And has the worst GUI I have ever used.

Emacs has a superb Python mode.

davidgurvich · 2011-09-08 17:33:12

Another vote for emacs. Uses minimal resources. Has a little bit of a learning curve but very powerful. One great feature is that you can use it in an ssh terminal.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-08-24 03:36:48

Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#2 2011-08-24 03:47:07

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#3 2011-08-24 03:48:44

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#4 2011-08-24 03:51:40

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#5 2011-08-24 10:29:09

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#6 2011-08-24 19:18:17

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#7 2011-08-24 20:05:03

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#8 2011-08-24 20:16:58

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#9 2011-08-24 20:39:28

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#10 2011-08-25 00:28:57

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#11 2011-09-04 18:36:08

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#12 2011-09-04 20:50:49

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#13 2011-09-07 17:17:02

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#14 2011-09-07 21:06:33

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#15 2011-09-07 21:34:48

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#16 2011-09-08 02:46:43

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

#17 2011-09-08 17:33:12

Re: Recommend a full featured editor for Python

Board footer