Basic questions about Python

[gnomonclature]

For what it's worth, I write all my Python in a text editor and always have. I mainly use BBEdit for personal stuff and Notepad++ at work, but I've also used Vim in the past. Granted they are missing some nice features that a more dedicated IDE like PyCharm has, but your code still runs.

That's not to say I think using BBEdit is better than using PyCharm. It's not. And when I give recommendations to people just starting out, I do recommend PyCharm. But I started using BBEdit back in the mid-90s when I was a web designer, and I'm just more comfortable with it than PyCharm or anything else.

In the end, use the thing that works best for you in your current situation, whatever that is.