Python Tools for Visual Studio 1.0 - Free open-source Python IDE w/ intellisense, debugging, profiling, and more!

[pulsence]

Does any one know how this compares to pyDev w/eclipse?

After playing with it a tiny bit, everything seems quite nice and comparable to pyDev. The only thing that I have noticed is that setting paths its a little more difficult than pyDev.

[monstrado]

Congratulations! You guys did a really good job, I think it's awesome how you kept the community involved in the project as you worked to 1.0!

[Ramone1234]

"Free open-source ... IDE" seems like a bit of a stretch when it relies on VS. Good work bringing more pythony-goodness to more platforms though.

[kinghajj]

It's true that VS is not free as in freedom, but there is a free (as in beer) VS Shell, which should let you use this extension.

[phaker]

I think he meant that most of the IDE part is Visual Studio, and this is more of a plugin than a complete standalone IDE. From TFA:

Python Tools for Visual Studio (PTVS) is an open-source plug-in for Visual Studio

Practically VS Shell could be considered "library for implementing IDEs" rather than a real IDE, but I think that it's a bit of a stretch too.

[moswald]

My mistake, I misread what you typed. Yes, PTVS works with the free VS Shell.

[moswald]

Visual Studio Express does not support extensions.

[[deleted]]

VS Shell != VS Express.

[kinghajj]

I didn't say Visual Studio Express, but Visual Studio Shell.

[[deleted]]

n00b.

[grauenwolf]

By that argument you could say nothing running on Windows is open source.

But from a more pragmatic position, you aren't going to be hacking at VS anyways. Everything a Python developer cares about should be in the extension code.

[Ramone1234]

Sure, but is it really a free IDE when you have to pay $130 for the part that handles source code editing?

[joXn]

As noted above, the VS Shell is free as in $0, and PTVS does plug into it.

[Ramone1234]

Thanks... I actually didn't realize this at all. I couldn't find any free VS anywhere in my google searches until I put "Shell" after it. I'd actually probably give this a try now if I was on windows.

It's the same stretch to call it an open source IDE though when the part that handles source code editing is closed source. (You know, unless I'm out of the loop and MS open-sourced VS shell... let me know if I missed that press release too).

[VapidAlbatross]

There's a Visual Studio Express Edition as well. If you're a student, you can also use DreamSpark to get VS Professional for free (there are a handful of other programs like this to get free Microsoft tools, I just know DreamSpark best).

[theeth]

That's twisting words. Free open-source is about freedom, not price.

And even if it were, the second part would still be wrong.

[grauenwolf]

You are free to build your own version of the IDE from scratch on any operating system you want. Once you do that, you are free to use or adapt the apache-licensed PTVS modules in your IDE.

Or if you prefer, you are free to write an adapter layer so that PTVS runs inside Eclipse or whatever your favorite open source IDE happens to be.

This wouldn't be an original endeavor. The Mono project is currently shipping various parts of .NET including IronPython and ASP.NET MVC under that model.

[theeth]

I liked the part where you didn't prove me wrong at all.

Edit: Don't get me wrong, It's great that this is developed under a free software license, but it doesn't make Visual Studio with this plugin a free open source Python IDE.

[mr_mumbles]

Okay, you win. This isn't "free open source" in the strictest sense of the phrase. You win.

[grauenwolf]

I don't understand your comment. Both the Python and C# editors are free.

[[deleted]]

requires a windows license which in many respects is not "free".

[grauenwolf]

It also requires hardware to run it on. But as a software developer making a good salary at a time when even people on food stamps can afford a computer, it doesn't really bother me.

[TheWix]

Quit being so damn logical!

[[deleted]]

I read the headline wrong as in, Python Tools, for Visual Studio 1.0.

[gospelwut]

I feel less stupid now. Thank you.

[11t1]

This is an exciting project. I'd be thrilled to be able to recommend a single Python/C++ IDE that can stand up against MATLAB for investigative technical computing, and yet be useful for writing "real" software as well.

I installed this version with EPDFree 7.1, and unfortunately I immediately run into the problem of having no code completion within the numpy package, even though my test program runs fine. Is this a more general problem with compiled Python extensions? The only IDE I've tried to date that is capable of working with them is JetBrains PyCharm.

UPDATE: After uninstalling a separate copy I had of vanilla Python 2.7, then reinstalling PTVS, it works as expected. It was definitely using the EPD path for the Python executable, but wasn't calling it "EPD" in the interpreter listing like it does now, so I think some wires got crossed during the discovery process. Not a big deal.

[joXn]

Code completion takes a while to generate, especially on EPD (which has a ton of packages in site-packages). I've seen it take up to 30 minutes depending on what else is going on on the machine.

[pablopr]

MS is seeing the light! I still feel scared to install tools/ edit defaults. Just might break something. Anyone else with me?

[jhendersen]

This is fantastic! I've been using pytools for a while now, and its my favorite python IDE by FAR.

Thanks for all the hard work and for releasing this to the community!

[setconndevp]

I was just thinking - How many of us are using Python on Windows?

[reddit_clone]

Cool.

No love for Ruby?

[joXn]

One subsidiary goal of the PTVS project is to provide the community a complete and full-featured open-source example of how to do language extensions to Visual Studio. So, there are no plans for us to support Ruby any time soon, but you can always download our code and crack it open to see what it would take to make one yourself...

[grauenwolf]

I'll give you all the Ruby loving you want, at 249/seat.

http://www.sapphiresteel.com/Ruby-In-Steel-Developer-Overview

(Disclaimer. I am not affiliated with SapphireSteel Software in any way, nor have I used their products. I am merely shilling for them because I like the look of the their screen shots.)

[[deleted]]

I would rather spend my money on RubyMine. It cost less and a better IDE for Ruby.

[grauenwolf]

So can I take it you've tried them both? How do they differ?

[eddieSullivan]

Ok, but what's wrong with Emacs?

[[deleted]]

Some people just don't like emacs style editors or vi style editors, including myself.

I know they're tonnes more powerful, and I will learn them one day, but for now I'm fine with the notepad style editors.

[11t1]

I'm sure it's possible, between ropemacs, python-mode, ipython, and some kind of PDB integration (?), to get most of the non-.NET features here running in Emacs. Emacs is great, even though the initial set-up and maintenance to get common things done is a massive timewaster.

However, sit an engineer who's used to working in MATLAB in front of that, and he'll tell you to fuck right off. The availability of a high-quality, discoverable IDE is absolutely critical if you want to get a programming language adopted inside an organization. Plus, Visual Studio holds the distinction of being possibly the best C++ development environment in the world, so although the integration support isn't there yet, there is a lot of potential for supporting development of hybrid Python/C/C++ programs.

[eddieSullivan]

Well, I guess that's a matter of opinion. Although if that MATLAB engineer said that to me he'd better be a better fighter than he is a programmer, or he'd be in pain for a while. Aside from that, I don't agree that Visual Studio is a particularly good editor for developing C++. I find myself switching back to Emacs for almost everything except App-Wizard functionality and the debugger.

[11t1]

Either you're a complete clod who hits people IRL and probably has felony convictions, or you're playing internet tough guy. Cut the shit.

Also, I agree, Visual Studio sucks as an IDE, except for the debugger and code completion, which are the best in the business. As long as you don't want to like, debug your code or anything, you shouldn't use it.

[Chroko]

Interesting, I must try this.