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idle.rst

Last change on this file was 388, checked in by dmik, 11 years ago
python: Update vendor to 2.7.6.
Property svn:eol-style set to `native`
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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
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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 file: create a new file 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

Debug menu

in the Python Shell window only

Go to file/line: Look around the insert point for a filename and line number, open the file, and show the line. Useful to view the source lines referenced in an exception traceback.
Debugger: Run commands in the shell under the debugger.
Stack viewer: Show the stack traceback of the last exception.
Auto-open Stack Viewer: Open stack viewer on traceback.

.. index::
   single: stack viewer
   single: debugger

Edit context menu

Right-click in Edit window (Control-click on OS X)

Cut: Copy selection into system-wide clipboard; then delete selection
Copy: Copy selection into system-wide clipboard
Paste: Insert system-wide clipboard into window
Set Breakpoint: Sets a breakpoint. Breakpoints are only enabled when the debugger is open.
Clear Breakpoint: Clears the breakpoint on that line.

.. index::
   single: Cut
   single: Copy
   single: Paste
   single: Set Breakpoint
   single: Clear Breakpoint
   single: breakpoints

Basic editing and navigation

:kbd:`Backspace` deletes to the left; :kbd:`Del` deletes to the right
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Arrow keys and :kbd:`Page Up`/:kbd:`Page Down` to move around
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:kbd:`Home`/:kbd:`End` go to begin/end of line
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:kbd:`C-Home`/:kbd:`C-End` go to begin/end of file
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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
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:kbd:`C-D` sends end-of-file; closes window if typed at a >>> prompt
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:kbd:`Alt-p` retrieves previous command matching what you have typed
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:kbd:`Alt-n` retrieves next
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:kbd:`Return` while on any previous command retrieves that command
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:kbd:`Alt-/` (Expand word) is also useful here
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.. 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.

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