source: python/trunk/Lib/idlelib/help.txt

[See the end of this file for ** TIPS ** on using IDLE !!]

Click on the dotted line at the top of a menu to "tear it off": a
separate window containing the menu is created.

File Menu:

        New File         -- Create a new editing window
        Open...          -- Open an existing file
        Recent Files...  -- Open a list of recent files
        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
        ---
        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
        ---
        Print Window     -- Print the current window
        ---
        Close            -- Close current window (asks to save if unsaved)
        Exit             -- Close all windows, quit (asks to save if unsaved)

Edit Menu:

        Undo             -- Undo last change to current window
                            (A maximum of 1000 changes may be undone)
        Redo             -- Redo last undone change to current window
        ---
        Cut              -- Copy a selection into system-wide clipboard,
                            then delete the 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
        Show Calltip     -- Open a small window with function param hints
        Show Completions -- Open a scroll window allowing selection keywords
                            and attributes. (see '*TIPS*', below)
        Show Parens      -- Highlight the surrounding parenthesis
        Expand Word      -- Expand the word you have typed to match another
                            word in the same buffer; repeat to get a
                            different expansion

Format Menu (only in Edit window):

        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
                (Note: We recommend using 4 space blocks to indent Python code.)
        Untabify Region     -- Turn *all* tabs into the right number of spaces
        New Indent Width... -- Open dialog to change indent width
        Format Paragraph    -- Reformat the current blank-line-separated
                               paragraph

Run Menu (only in Edit window):

        Python Shell -- Open or wake up the Python shell window
        ---
        Check Module -- Run a syntax check on the module
        Run Module   -- Execute the current file in the __main__ namespace

Shell Menu (only in Shell window):

        View Last Restart -- Scroll the shell window to the last restart
        Restart Shell     -- Restart the interpreter with a fresh environment

Debug Menu (only in Shell window):

        Go to File/Line   -- look around the insert point for a filename
                             and line number, open the file, and show the line
        Debugger (toggle) -- Run commands in the shell under the debugger
        Stack Viewer      -- Show the stack traceback of the last exception
        Auto-open Stack Viewer (toggle) -- Open stack viewer on traceback

Options Menu:

        Configure IDLE -- Open a configuration dialog.  Fonts, indentation,
                          keybindings, and color themes may be altered.
                          Startup Preferences may be set, and Additional Help
                          Sources can be specified.
                          
                          On OS X this menu is not present, use
                          menu 'IDLE -> Preferences...' instead.
        ---
        Code Context --   Open a pane at the top of the edit window which
                          shows the block context of the section of code
                          which is scrolling off the top or the window.
                          (Not present in Shell window.)

Windows Menu:

        Zoom Height -- toggles the window between configured size
        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).

Help Menu:

        About IDLE  -- Version, copyright, license, credits
        IDLE Readme -- Background discussion and change details
        ---
        IDLE Help   -- Display this file
        Python Docs -- Access local Python documentation, if
                       installed.  Otherwise, access www.python.org.
        ---
        (Additional Help Sources may be added here)

Edit context menu (Right-click / Control-click on OS X in Edit window):

        Cut              -- Copy a selection into system-wide clipboard,
                            then delete the selection
        Copy             -- Copy selection into system-wide clipboard
        Paste            -- Insert system-wide clipboard into window
        Set Breakpoint   -- Sets a breakpoint (when debugger open)
        Clear Breakpoint -- Clears the breakpoint on that line

Shell context menu (Right-click / Control-click on OS X in Shell window):

        Cut              -- Copy a selection into system-wide clipboard,
                            then delete the selection
        Copy             -- Copy selection into system-wide clipboard
        Paste            -- Insert system-wide clipboard into window
        ---
        Go to file/line  -- Same as in Debug menu


** TIPS **
==========

Additional Help Sources:

        Windows users can Google on zopeshelf.chm to access Zope help files in
        the Windows help format.  The Additional Help Sources feature of the
        configuration GUI supports .chm, along with any other filetypes
        supported by your browser.  Supply a Menu Item title, and enter the
        location in the Help File Path slot of the New Help Source dialog.  Use
        http:// and/or www. to identify external URLs, or download the file and
        browse for its path on your machine using the Browse button.

        All users can access the extensive sources of help, including
        tutorials, available at www.python.org/doc.  Selected URLs can be added
        or removed from the Help menu at any time using Configure IDLE.

Basic editing and navigation:

        Backspace deletes char to the left; DEL deletes char to the right.
        Control-backspace deletes word left, Control-DEL deletes word right.
        Arrow keys and Page Up/Down move around.
        Control-left/right Arrow moves by words in a strange but useful way.
        Home/End go to begin/end of line.
        Control-Home/End go to begin/end of file.
        Some useful Emacs bindings are inherited from Tcl/Tk:
                Control-a     beginning of line
                Control-e     end of line
                Control-k     kill line (but doesn't put it in clipboard)
                Control-l     center window around the insertion point
        Standard Windows bindings may work on that platform.
        Keybindings are selected in the Settings Dialog, look there.

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, Backspace deletes up to 4 spaces if they are there.  Tab
        inserts spaces (in the Python Shell window one tab), number depends on
        Indent Width.  (N.B. Currently tabs are restricted to four spaces due
        to Tcl/Tk issues.)

        See also the indent/dedent region commands in the edit menu.

Completions:

        Completions are supplied for functions, classes, and attributes of
        classes, both built-in and user-defined.  Completions are also provided
        for filenames.

        The AutoCompleteWindow (ACW) will open after a predefined delay
        (default is two seconds) after a '.' or (in a string) an os.sep is
        typed.  If after one of those characters (plus zero or more other
        characters) you type a Tab the ACW will open immediately if a possible
        continuation is found.

        If there is only one possible completion for the characters entered, a
        Tab will supply that completion without opening the ACW.

        'Show Completions' will force open a completions window.  In an empty
        string, this will contain the files in the current directory.  On a
        blank line, it will contain the built-in and user-defined functions and
        classes in the current name spaces, plus any modules imported.  If some
        characters have been entered, the ACW will attempt to be more specific.

        If string of characters is typed, the ACW selection will jump to the
        entry most closely matching those characters. Entering a Tab will cause
        the longest non-ambiguous match to be entered in the Edit window or
        Shell.  Two Tabs in a row will supply the current ACW selection, as
        will Return or a double click.  Cursor keys, Page Up/Down, mouse
        selection, and the scrollwheel all operate on the ACW.

        'Hidden' attributes can be accessed by typing the beginning of hidden
        name after a '.'.  e.g. '_'.  This allows access to modules with
        '__all__' set, or to class-private attributes.

        Completions and the 'Expand Word' facility can save a lot of typing!

        Completions are currently limited to those in the namespaces.  Names in
        an Edit window which are not via __main__ or sys.modules will not be
        found.  Run the module once with your imports to correct this
        situation.  Note that IDLE itself places quite a few modules in
        sys.modules, so much can be found by default, e.g. the re module.

        If you don't like the ACW popping up unbidden, simply make the delay
        longer or disable the extension.  OTOH, you could make the delay zero.

        You could also switch off the CallTips extension.  (We will be adding
        a delay to the call tip window.)

Python Shell window:

        Control-c interrupts executing command.
        Control-d sends end-of-file; closes window if typed at >>> prompt.

    Command history:

        Alt-p retrieves previous command matching what you have typed.
        Alt-n retrieves next.
              (These are Control-p, Control-n on OS X)
        Return while cursor is on a previous command retrieves that command.
        Expand word is also useful to reduce typing.

    Syntax colors:

        The coloring is applied in a background "thread", so you may
        occasionally see uncolorized text.  To change the color
        scheme, use the Configure IDLE / Highlighting dialog.

    Python default syntax colors:

        Keywords        orange
        Builtins        royal purple
        Strings         green
        Comments        red
        Definitions     blue

    Shell default colors:

        Console output  brown
        stdout          blue
        stderr          red
        stdin           black

Other preferences:

        The font preferences, keybinding, and startup preferences can
        be changed using the Settings dialog.

Command line usage:

        Enter idle -h at the command prompt to get a usage message.

Running without a subprocess:

        If IDLE is started with the -n command line switch it will run in a
        single process and will not create the subprocess which runs the RPC
        Python execution server.  This can be useful if Python cannot create
        the subprocess or the RPC socket interface on your platform.  However,
        in this mode user code is not isolated from IDLE itself.  Also, the
        environment is not restarted when Run/Run Module (F5) is selected.  If
        your code has been modified, you must reload() the affected modules and
        re-import any specific items (e.g. from foo import baz) if the changes
        are to take effect.  For these reasons, it is preferable to run IDLE
        with the default subprocess if at all possible.

Extensions:

        IDLE contains an extension facility.  See the beginning of
        config-extensions.def in the idlelib directory for further information.
        The default extensions are currently:

                FormatParagraph
                AutoExpand
                ZoomHeight
                ScriptBinding
                CallTips
                ParenMatch
                AutoComplete
                CodeContext