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.. _idle:
IDLE
====
.. moduleauthor:: Guido van Rossum <guido@Python.org>
.. index::
single: IDLE
single: Python Editor
single: Integrated Development Environment
IDLE is the Python IDE built with the :mod:`tkinter` GUI toolkit.
IDLE has the following features:
* coded in 100% pure Python, using the :mod:`tkinter` GUI toolkit
* cross-platform: works on Windows and Unix
* multi-window text editor with multiple undo, Python colorizing and many other
features, e.g. smart indent and call tips
* Python shell window (a.k.a. interactive interpreter)
* debugger (not complete, but you can set breakpoints, view and step)
Menus
-----
File menu
^^^^^^^^^
New window
create a new editing window
Open...
open an existing file
Open module...
open an existing module (searches sys.path)
Class browser
show classes and methods in current file
Path browser
show sys.path directories, modules, classes and methods
.. index::
single: Class browser
single: Path browser
Save
save current window to the associated file (unsaved windows have a \* before and
after the window title)
Save As...
save current window to new file, which becomes the associated file
Save Copy As...
save current window to different file without changing the associated file
Close
close current window (asks to save if unsaved)
Exit
close all windows and quit IDLE (asks to save if unsaved)
Edit menu
^^^^^^^^^
Undo
Undo last change to current window (max 1000 changes)
Redo
Redo last undone change to current window
Cut
Copy selection into system-wide clipboard; then delete selection
Copy
Copy selection into system-wide clipboard
Paste
Insert system-wide clipboard into window
Select All
Select the entire contents of the edit buffer
Find...
Open a search dialog box with many options
Find again
Repeat last search
Find selection
Search for the string in the selection
Find in Files...
Open a search dialog box for searching files
Replace...
Open a search-and-replace dialog box
Go to line
Ask for a line number and show that line
Indent region
Shift selected lines right 4 spaces
Dedent region
Shift selected lines left 4 spaces
Comment out region
Insert ## in front of selected lines
Uncomment region
Remove leading # or ## from selected lines
Tabify region
Turns *leading* stretches of spaces into tabs
Untabify region
Turn *all* tabs into the right number of spaces
Expand word
Expand the word you have typed to match another word in the same buffer; repeat
to get a different expansion
Format Paragraph
Reformat the current blank-line-separated paragraph
Import module
Import or reload the current module
Run script
Execute the current file in the __main__ namespace
.. index::
single: Import module
single: Run script
Windows menu
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Zoom Height
toggles the window between normal size (24x80) and maximum height.
The rest of this menu lists the names of all open windows; select one to bring
it to the foreground (deiconifying it if necessary).
Debug menu (in the Python Shell window only)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Go to file/line
look around the insert point for a filename and linenumber, open the file, and
show the line.
Open stack viewer
show the stack traceback of the last exception
Debugger toggle
Run commands in the shell under the debugger
JIT Stack viewer toggle
Open stack viewer on traceback
.. index::
single: stack viewer
single: debugger
Basic editing and navigation
----------------------------
* :kbd:`Backspace` deletes to the left; :kbd:`Del` deletes to the right
* Arrow keys and :kbd:`Page Up`/:kbd:`Page Down` to move around
* :kbd:`Home`/:kbd:`End` go to begin/end of line
* :kbd:`C-Home`/:kbd:`C-End` go to begin/end of file
* Some :program:`Emacs` bindings may also work, including :kbd:`C-B`,
:kbd:`C-P`, :kbd:`C-A`, :kbd:`C-E`, :kbd:`C-D`, :kbd:`C-L`
Automatic indentation
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
After a block-opening statement, the next line is indented by 4 spaces (in the
Python Shell window by one tab). After certain keywords (break, return etc.)
the next line is dedented. In leading indentation, :kbd:`Backspace` deletes up
to 4 spaces if they are there. :kbd:`Tab` inserts 1-4 spaces (in the Python
Shell window one tab). See also the indent/dedent region commands in the edit
menu.
Python Shell window
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
* :kbd:`C-C` interrupts executing command
* :kbd:`C-D` sends end-of-file; closes window if typed at a ``>>>`` prompt
* :kbd:`Alt-p` retrieves previous command matching what you have typed
* :kbd:`Alt-n` retrieves next
* :kbd:`Return` while on any previous command retrieves that command
* :kbd:`Alt-/` (Expand word) is also useful here
.. index:: single: indentation
Syntax colors
-------------
The coloring is applied in a background "thread," so you may occasionally see
uncolorized text. To change the color scheme, edit the ``[Colors]`` section in
:file:`config.txt`.
Python syntax colors:
Keywords
orange
Strings
green
Comments
red
Definitions
blue
Shell colors:
Console output
brown
stdout
blue
stderr
dark green
stdin
black
Startup
-------
Upon startup with the ``-s`` option, IDLE will execute the file referenced by
the environment variables :envvar:`IDLESTARTUP` or :envvar:`PYTHONSTARTUP`.
Idle first checks for ``IDLESTARTUP``; if ``IDLESTARTUP`` is present the file
referenced is run. If ``IDLESTARTUP`` is not present, Idle checks for
``PYTHONSTARTUP``. Files referenced by these environment variables are
convenient places to store functions that are used frequently from the Idle
shell, or for executing import statements to import common modules.
In addition, ``Tk`` also loads a startup file if it is present. Note that the
Tk file is loaded unconditionally. This additional file is ``.Idle.py`` and is
looked for in the user's home directory. Statements in this file will be
executed in the Tk namespace, so this file is not useful for importing functions
to be used from Idle's Python shell.
Command line usage
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
::
idle.py [-c command] [-d] [-e] [-s] [-t title] [arg] ...
-c command run this command
-d enable debugger
-e edit mode; arguments are files to be edited
-s run $IDLESTARTUP or $PYTHONSTARTUP first
-t title set title of shell window
If there are arguments:
#. If :option:`-e` is used, arguments are files opened for editing and
``sys.argv`` reflects the arguments passed to IDLE itself.
#. Otherwise, if :option:`-c` is used, all arguments are placed in
``sys.argv[1:...]``, with ``sys.argv[0]`` set to ``'-c'``.
#. Otherwise, if neither :option:`-e` nor :option:`-c` is used, the first
argument is a script which is executed with the remaining arguments in
``sys.argv[1:...]`` and ``sys.argv[0]`` set to the script name. If the script
name is '-', no script is executed but an interactive Python session is started;
the arguments are still available in ``sys.argv``.