| .. _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 | 
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 | 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 ``-e`` is used, arguments are files opened for editing and | 
 |    ``sys.argv`` reflects the arguments passed to IDLE itself. | 
 |  | 
 | #. Otherwise, if ``-c`` is used, all arguments are placed in | 
 |    ``sys.argv[1:...]``, with ``sys.argv[0]`` set to ``'-c'``. | 
 |  | 
 | #. Otherwise, if neither ``-e`` nor ``-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``. | 
 |  | 
 |  |