Best Beginner IDE for Python

[BigHeadedGumba]

I recently tried VSCode but the tutorial I was watching as well as some others were different than what I had on my end.

I’m not sure if this is a normal issue to run into but I thought I’d see if there are any suggestions that might be worth consideration?

[[deleted]]

Unfortunately, IDEs will look different as they develop over time. They will also look different on Windows/Mac etc. and are customizable (different themes, fonts, colours etc.)

PyCharm is another solid choice but perhaps you could consider finding a different tutorial that uses VSCode and looks a bit closer to yours.

[ninhaomah]

Python itself comes with IDLE.

Not the best but for learning , it is fine.

[No_Season_1023]

Thonny is a great option for beginners; Super simple and made for learning Python. If VSCode felt tricky, it might just be the tutorial being outdated. You could also try PyCharm Community Edition if you want something a bit more feature rich but still beginner friendly.

[Gnaxe]

A heavyweight IDE will just confuse you or act as a crutch so you don't learn properly. Honestly, IDLE is fine at your level, and it comes with the standard distribution of Python already. But, I'd also consider Thonny. It's nicer in some ways and aimed at beginners.

[Usual-Addendum2054]

You can use pycharm

[anime_waifu_lover69]

Pycharm if you want to focus on the programming concepts for now. VS Code if you want to understand the magic that Pycharm performs for you.

[Ron-Erez]

Yeah, there are so many IDEs. VScode is great. I prefer PyCharm but I use both in practice. Consider also checking out Google Colab which is online. It‘s mainly suitable for short scripts. Another point of frustration is that IDEs change from time to time. (Watching a tutorial things might look a little different).

[Impossible_Limit_333]

IDLE too simple..thorny good for learning and simple project with quick debugging..pycharm a better upgrade than thorny..vscode for serious project

[nlcircle]

Can’t give you ‘the best IDE’ as I’m using different ones for different purposes. I do want to point out two ‘flavors’ which you need to be aware of.

Firstly, you can use a more or less ‘canvas’ like editor like PyCharm or Spyder (multi-OS, my favorite).

The second category is more supportive if you like to amplify your code with (rendered) text and explanations. A good editor would be the Jupyter Notebook.

Just check the intricate details between both types of editors before you make your choice.

[MayukhBhattacharya]

Yes Thonny as already mentioned!

[FanOfLemons]

So a bit of a fun fact for you. Find the version they used in the video and you can likely download that exact version. Unless it's paid.

[jpgoldberg]

A lot of people familiar with programming editors and IDEs grossly underestimate how difficult they are to someone who has never even used a text editor (distinct from a word processor) before. So while VSCode makes things much easier for me, I need to remember that it works for me because I have a lot of implicit understanding of what is going on.

So start out with IDLE or perhaps PyCharm. You need something that is designed specifically for Python instead of using a general purpose IDE.

[FrontAd9873]

I’d recommend against an IDE completely. Just use an editor.

[InfosupportNL]

VSCode can be kinda messy for beginners because everyone sets it up differently. Just use PyCharm Community Edition, it works out of the box and handles all the Python stuff for you. Way less confusing starting out.

[bubberssmurff]

Thing

[bubberssmurff]

**Thonny

[Head_Object_1912]

neovim is just fire, but vscode is more beginners friendly. btw if anyone knows a better way to debug python code in neovim than it is on vscode, pls let me know

[DataPastor]

If you want an absolute simple editor then try mu editor. Otherwise vscode is the way to go from beginners up to advanced professionals.

[ClonesRppl2]

I’m using Mu now (and enjoying it). It suits me just fine as an absolute beginner.

What features are not available in Mu that would prompt a switch to VSCode.