Ranting about the state of Python IDEs for Windows

[Rob McCrea]

Carlos Ribeiro wrote:

> I'm frustrated. My search for a good IDE to support my activities --
> doing development for Python in the Windows environment -- are not
> being succesful as I had originally dreamt.

 > As mentioned, it's rather fully customizable, easy to add a new file 
 > > type and appropriate extensions


My search for a good IDE ended years ago when I started learning C++, 
and found EditPlus, http://www.editplus.com/  --  $30, free 30 day trial 
(last I knew.)

*Regex find/replace and grep (called "find in files")

*Match brace

*Custom user tools -- this is what makes it an IDE:  For python I only 
have 2 tools so far (I'm very new to python), execute "python ~thisfile" 
normally, or with editplus capturing the output.  But for c++ I have 
many, such as "make all", "make debug", execute "~thisproject.exe", "gpp 
~thisfile", "gpp *.cpp -o ~thisproject.exe" and from time to time I've 
tossed up whatever 3rd party application just to have handy on the toolbars.

*Customize keyboard shortcuts

*record keystrokes for macros

*Syntax highlighting (I guess it only comes with HTML, CSS, PHP, ASP, 
Perl, C/C++, Java, JavaScript and VBScript installed, but they certainly 
have at least one Python for download, and editing or creating your own 
is simple enough)  (Well -- I just looked, the have many syntax types, 
Oracle, Pascal, Dephi, MySQL, XHTML, DHTML, Perl, Perlscript, 
ColdFusion, Lua, C#, mIRC, OpenGL, Apache, FORTRAN, Latex, VisualLisp, 
Tcl/Tk -- and hell, it's gonna take me forever to get down this list, 
and those were the few names I've heard of.  This large list does 
suggest alot of people are using editplus.

*Autocompletion, for command or function structures (which I don't use)

*Cliptext (I do like have the handy list of ascii/ansi symbols for when 
I forget that '_'==chr(95), or if I just want to click an drag a the 
copyright symbol someplace, even into another app: ©

And for HTML (which is, I suppose, It's specialty) -- it has a seamless 
IE, or launch whatever browser, and FTP capabilites.

But it's more impressive just for it's text editing capabilites:

*Column selection! (and column fill)
*Line indenting!  Need to indent (or dedent) those 20 lines of code? 
select, then ctrl-i or ctrl-shft-i !
*you can use tabs, or you can use spaces via the tab key, setting tab 
width is easy.
*even allows virtual space
*toggleable ruler, line numbers
*spellchecker
*4 ways to change case:  all upper, all lower, reverse, or captilize 
first left of everyword.
*unix and pc fileformat.
*auto-backup option
*an intresting "autosave" feature, optional for your user tools.  For 
example, I click my tool, and python tells me I have an error, I fix 
that, and click my tool again to view the new results.  I didn't have to 
save manually, since that's how I have that tool set.
*and of course, choose your favorite fonts.

*I just realized it does e-mail, I haven't tried that yet.

  -- most setting are independant based on filetype, perhaps you use TAB 
for 4 spaces in .py, but you use TAB for a 5-space tab-char in .txt -- 
no problem.

Best of all, it's quick and light.  Even wordpad seems to slowdown my 
comp more than editplus.  It does have a very nice finished feel, and, 
believe it or not, it reminds me more of notepad than any other program.

I use win98, it's keep me happy for years.  They do practice good 
customer support.

Good luck,
Rob

--I mean, If I had "column select" before now, I wouldn't have killed 
anybody.