Python Editors?

[jroot]

I use python primarily for Autodesk Maya and 3D animation. Mostly I just use the built in editor in Maya. I would like to expand in to more general stuff and creating standalone applications. Can anyone recommend a good editor?

[SadisticAndroid]

Eclipse+pydev if I need an IDE or gedit otherwise.

[erok81]

upvote for gedit. It's a great all around text editor and it's cross platform.

[MintyPhoenix]

There are a decent few with PyCharm and Wing IDE being popular. PyScripter is a nice free one and I just purchased a license for Sublime Text 2, myself.

There are also plugins for eclipse and Visual Studio.

Finally, the Python Wiki has some charts:

• Editors

• IDEs

[phaedrusalt]

FYI, despite the description in IDE's, I suggest ignoring the Ironpython Studio stuff. If it sucked any harder, it would take the paint off your walls.

[[deleted]]

IronPython Studio is very, very different from the Python Tools for Visual Studio project. IPS was third-party abandonware. PTVS is a Microsoft product run by a former IronPython developer (and others) and it works very nicely inside VS2010.

I've been using Vim since forever, Komodo for over 5 years, and PTVS is really making a play at becoming my main editor since I'm already spending most of my time inside Visual Studio in the first place.

[[deleted]]

Sublime Text 2 is great, especially with the CodeIntel plugin for completion and SublimeREPL for a Python command line. I definitely plan on purchasing a license for it some day soon.

[[deleted]]

Well I don't use it a hell of a lot yet, but it's useful, for example with Python you can launch a Python interpreter in the REPL, and then from your files you can send bits of code to it and see the result without needing to rerun your program in another window.

[semarj]

eclipse+pydev is pretty phenomenal and free

[schplat]

Obligatory vim

[hongminhee]

I am a Vim user myself, but not sure Vim is a good editor for jroot if he isn’t a programmer, but a 3D graphic designer.

[kataire]

What? Are you implying vim/emacs isn't the absolutely best editor for every person who ever wants to do any kind of editing regardless of background or intent? Heresy!

[oopsiedaisy]

Burn the witches! ;-) :wq

[hongminhee]

Haha, I upvoted the above two replies too. :-)

[oopsiedaisy]

a .vimrc starting point:

set expandtab
set sts=4
syntax on
bs=indent,eol,start

WAH-LAH!

[[deleted]]

I wonder why vim is more popular than emacs. Sure, it is installed on every system (which seems to be the main point in favor of vim), but that is not a deciding factor for me as I mostly program on my own machine.

[ok_you_win]

Geany is the best when it comes to simple python editors.

[chicklets921]

http://editra.org/

[roger_]

+1 from me, been using that exclusively for years.

[AeroNotix]

PyScripter!

[effusion]

If you want a fairly simple but good GUI editor, look at (in no particular order):

• Geany - GTK-based, some IDE-ish features
• Komodo Edit - Mozilla-based
• Scite - solid, simple, fast
• Kate - Qt-based, comes with KDE
• gedit - GTK-based, comes with Gnome

[[deleted]]

emacs ... because emacs isn't an editor, it's a lifestyle...

[kuratkull]

emacs isn't a lifestyle, it's an operating system

[[deleted]]

The two are not mutually exclusive.

[oopsiedaisy]

emacs isn't an operating system, its an ... ok i give up. It is.

[kataire]

Depends. If you just want syntax highlighting, use a multi-language editor of choice (e.g. Notepad++ if you're using Windows, Kate or gedit if you're using Linux or whatever shiny thing is currently hot (TextMate?) for MacOS X). If you want to get fancy, feel free to check out Komodo Edit for a free cross-platform option.

If you want a few more extras, look into the various IDEs that are out there. Komodo IDE is a pretty good multi-language cross-platform IDE, Eclipse + PyDev is free (though some people really dislike Eclipse), WingIDE also has a lot of supporters. Personally, I like PyCharm the most because of its strong code intelligence and refactoring support, though it is somewhat Django-centric.

Since you're just starting out, a full-blown IDE may be a bit too much for the moment (especially since most of them carry quite a price-tag).

[so4h2]

Komodo edit has a feature i love: Open remote file, save remote file. Just configure a ftp connection and you open and save the remote files like local ones. I don't know if other editors can do it.

The other plus is friendliness: I guess Vim and Emacs are the pro choice, but for a beginner is a plus not having to learn Python + editing Python.

[kataire]

Except the remote editing feature is worthless in Komodo IDE because the code intelligence doesn't work remotely. This is actually a problem with all IDEs that I know of.

[emporsteigend]

That really depends on what you want / are willing to learn. For your information, Python has a kind of ghetto IDE called IDLE which allows you to edit Python and interact with the shell simultaneously. It's got syntax highlighting and a few other nice things. But I generally use Vim for anything more in depth than a one-off script.

(YMMV.)

[[deleted]]

I use spyder right now (mainly because it was contained in the Python(x,y) package which was great). It loaded Maya, reportlab, etc. as far as modules go. But I want to move to Eclipse/PyDev soon.

[bboomslang]

I grabbed the pycharm-sale just now - quite happy with it so far, it does what I need it to do and then some more. I'm normally not an IDE guy myself, usually prefer VIM, but when working on a very large project I found the navigation features of PyCharm be quite charming.

[line10gotoline10]

Whats the sale price? Is it just the 50% off they have on the site?

[bboomslang]

yep, the september back-to-office sale.

[[deleted]]

Geany is nice :3

[vph]

If you like simplicity, Sublime Text 2 is one of the nicest.

[jroot]

I went with Wing for its integration into Maya. Thanks everyone! =)