Overview of tools

Tools for working with Python

The base Python interpreter has a simple command-line interface. Many more sophisticated tools for working with Python scripts and interacting with the interpreter have been developed. These tools are surveyed here.

• IPython (http://ipython.org) -- a shell for working with Python interactively. This tool provides far more functionality than the basic Python command line. It can be run in a terminal (providing a text-only interface), and it is a component of many graphical and browser-based environments.

• The IPython notebook (http://ipython.org/notebook.html) -- cell-based manipulation of Python code, runs in a browser. This is a graphical environment that embeds the standard text-based IPython command line.

• Integrated Development Environments (IDEs):

  • Spyder (http://code.google.com/p/spyderlib)
  • IEP (http://iep-project.org)
  • Canopy (https://www.enthought.com/products/canopy)
  • Idle (https://docs.python.org/2/library/idle.html)

• Pdb (https://docs.python.org/2/library/pdb.html) -- a debugging tool built into many Python shells and IDE's

• Automatic code checking:

  • Pyflakes (https://launchpad.net/pyflakes)
  • Pylint (http://www.pylint.org)
  • pep8 (https://pypi.python.org/pypi/pep8)
  • Pychecker (http://pychecker.sourceforge.net)

• Python environments for text editors -- modes for Emacs and Vim

  • Emacs modes
  • Vim modes