There are many different text editors for Python programming. Some of them are specific to Python and some can handle other languages as well. The good news is that all the text editors provide nice features and perks to help you become a better programmer and write better programs.
This article reviews the best Python IDEs and what makes each one unique. Hopefully, it will help you choose the right one for your needs.
Eric Python IDE
Eric is a common favorite IDE for Python editing. Named after Monty Python’s Eric Idle, Eric is actually written in Python using the Qt framework.
Eric makes use of Scintilla, a source code editing component used in a number of different IDEs and editors, and which is also available as the stand-alone SciTE editor.
The features of Eric are similar to other IDEs: brace matching, code completion, a class browser, integrated unit tests, and so on. It also has a Qt form preview function, which is useful if you’re developing a Qt GUI for your application. I personally like the integrated task list function.
If you’re new to IDEs as a concept, Eric can take some time to master, and you might question whether learning an IDE specific to just Python is worth the time investment. I find Eric to be a great, lighweight, yet full-featured programming environment, and learning it can help the quality of your code and gets you familiar with conventions common to all IDEs.
Eric Python IDE is an open – source Python editor and IDE by Detlev Affenbach. It is a full-featured, cross-platform Python IDE. If you are in search of a great python editor for windows Eric Python IDE can be your choice. It is designed in a way that everyone can use it whether they are students, beginners or professionals. It can be used for teaching purpose as well as fully professional development purpose with its numerous professional features. It is purely written in Python and is based on QT GUI toolkit and integrates Scintilla editor control.
Some of the important features of Eric Python IDE are noted below
- It supports features like Bracket matching, Error highlighting, Syntax highlighting and auto completion.
- Class browser, profiling, folding highlights, code coverage and other basic features are available in it.
- The features which make it compete with the others great Python IDEs as PyCharm and Wing IDE include
- Interactive Python shell
- Rope Refactoring
- Integrated task management
- Integrated unit test support
- It can launch third party apps in itself
- Project management capabilities
- Core plugins for Regex and Qt dialogs
- Version control
- Multilingual UI
- Integrated spell check library
Eric is available under the GPL version 3.
Eclipse with Pydev
Eclipse is a powerful, versatile and well-known IDE which is serving the programmers for quite a long time. The Pydev plugin is the IDE for Python in Eclipse. Aleks Ttotic created it in 2004 and now maintained by Fabio Zadrozny. Pydev. It is one of the best open – source IDE for Python which is fully packed with the powerful features of Python programming. The best part of it which makes it loved by masses is that Pydev has always been upgraded with latest features and is very lightweight.
Some of the features which makes it worth using are
- Django integration
- Multilanguage support
- Bracket matching
- Code analysis
- Integrated python debugging
- Auto code compilation
- Smart indent
- Error markup
- Code templates
- Source control integration
- Code folding
- Unit test integration
- UML editing and viewing
Wing IDE
Wing IDE is a commercial IDE developed by Wingware. It is a completely Python-only IDE known for its powerful debugger. Wing IDE comes with different versions which include a personal edition, a free of cost edition and a great fully professional edition. It is one of the best Python IDE for professional developers with its awesome features, some of which includes
- It provides almost every feature and Python development tools for programming in Python.
- It is fast and works with latest versions of Python.
- It is known for its powerful built –in debugger which has features like auto child process debugging, code stopping, breakpoints, multiprocess debugging, debugging of threaded code inspection, remote and local debugging, graphical debugging.
- It supports a huge number of Python frameworks.
- It is very flexible for code management.
#6 Sublime Text 3
If you are a beginner in Python programming then using a text editor would be better. No doubt Sublime text is the most loved text editor in the developer’s community and can serve as a great Python text editor. This lightweight, cross-platform editor has so many features which make it everyone’s favourite. Some of these features are
- Go to anything
- Command palette
- Distraction free mode
- Multiple selection
- Split layout with which we can arrange our files in split sections on screen
- When we open the editor it automatically reopens all the files and folders which were open last time to make it convenient working on the projects.
- Different tabs make it easy to edit and navigate different files simultaneously.
- It is known for its speed and easy user interface and has a large community support.
- The numerous of plugins help it have virtually any feature of other editors and IDEs.
- Out of the box Python support with built in Python interpreter, highlights and compilation.
- Anaconda Python IDE is the plugin which turns it into a full – fledged Python IDE.
Sublime can also be used as an IDE that is why it is here in the list of Best Python IDEs for Windows.
PyCharm
PyCharm is the most loved and used IDE for Python among developers. It is created and maintained by JetBrains which is renowned for making remarkable IDEs and developer tools. JetBrains is well known for making real developer’s stuff rather than the academicals, and this makes PyCharm, the most trusted best Python editor for professionals. PyCharm has an advance commercial edition packed with tons of professional features as well as a free community edition which also has most of the essential functions.
Features which make PyCharm the Best IDE for Python includes
- Tons of plugins and integrated terminals.
- Intelligent code completion
- PEP-8 checks and recommendations improve the code quality.
- Intuitive Project navigation.
- Graphical debugger and test runner.
- Smart Refactoring
- Database Support
- Remote Development Capabilities
- Web development framework support
- Version control
- It supports numerous of Python libraries
- On-the-fly error checking and quick-fixes
- Code folding
- Unit Testing
- Line Numbering
Komodo IDE
From the house of ActiveState, Komodo is a cross-platform IDE. Python is one of the many languages which this IDE supports. However Komodo is commercial IDE, but Komodo Edit is an open – source free version of it. Komodo Edit targets the institutions for use in teaching whereas the commercial IDE is professional one which is also available for students with a heavy discount. Komodo IDE’s features for Python includes
- Auto completion
- Bracket matching
- Integrated debugger
- Source control integration
- Code templates
- Error markup
- Unit testing
- Built in FTP client helps in accessing remote files.
- It supports most of the tool sets for Python programming
- Easy access to the tools you need while coding.
Pyzo
Pyzo is a Qt-based editor with a built-in file browser, project overview, log, debugger, indentation tracker, and much more. It considers itself an alternative to MATLAB, although actually it’s a useful editor for any Python project, not just those dealing with advanced mathematics and science.
Because it’s built with Qt, your workspace is highly configurable. You can move panels to suit your workflow or to simulate a specific IDE layout you’re used to. The ability to show and hide tool panels based on what information you want in front of you can be a useful way of helping yourself focus, and because you can assign nearly every option to a specific key combination, you can keep your Pyzo editor fluid and dynamic.
Pyzo is a simple IDE, it’s not a whole ecosystem the way Eclipse is. It doesn’t have a plugin architecture (aside from being open source and therefore inherently hackable), and its main goal is to stay out of your way except to help keep track of your code.
Spyder
The Spyder IDE, like Pyzo, targets data scientists as its audience. Unlike Pyzo, Spyder is a true environment all its own. It’s a big, complex, and feature-rich application with panels to display rendered data, code output, logs, history, and much more. It can be downloaded on its own, or as part of a bundle along with the Anaconda distribution, a popular programming toolkit used by Python and R programmers.
PyCharm
PyCharm is another popular Python editor. There are two versions of PyCharm, and the free and open source edition of PyCharm is the community edition, available under the Apache 2.0 license.
PyCharm features pretty much everything one might hope for in an IDE: integrated unit testing, code inspection, integrated version control, code refactoring tools, a variety of tools for project navigation, as well as the highlighting and automated completion features you would expect with any IDE.
To me, the main drawback of PyCharm is its open core model. Many of PyCharm’s advanced features are not available under an open source license, and for me, that’s a deal breaker. However, if you’re not looking to use advanced features included in the closed source verion, having the features left out may leave PyCharm as a simple and relatively lightweight choice for Python editing.
Eclipse with PyDev
It’s hard to write anything about open source integrated development environments without covering Eclipse, which has a huge developer community and countless plugins available, allowing you to customize it to meet nearly any need you can imagine. But this kitchen sink approach is also one of Eclipse’s downsides. Depending on your requirements, it may seem bloated or over-complex.
That said, if you’re coming to Python from a background in a different language, particularly Java, then Eclipse may already be a familiar IDE. And if you make use of its many features, you may find life without them difficult. Even if you’re new to programming, Eclipse can be a great IDE to start on, because once you learn it, you can likely use it for most or everything else you work on, regardless of language.
PyDev adds a huge number of features to Eclipse, far beyond simple code highlighting. It handles code completion, integrates Python debugging, adds a token browser, refactoring tools, and much more. In case you’re working with the popular Django Python web framework, then you can leverage PyDev to create new Django projects, execute Django actions with hotkeys, and use a separate run configuration specific to Django.
Eclipse and PyDev are both available under the Eclipse Public License.
Other great options
The list of open source Python editors and integrated development environments is lengthy. Here are a few other interesting standouts.
PyScripter, LeoEditor, and PTK (the Python Tool Kit) are tools for working with Python code. And of course there’s IDLE, the default IDE packaged with Python.
Geany, Atom, and Brackets are general purpose code editors with Python support through plugins.
Netbeans and VS Codium are open source general purpose IDEs that, like Eclipse, can be transformed into Python editors with selected plugins and extensions.
Most extensible code editors are likely to feature Python support. For instance, Emacs can be a full-fledged Python IDE if you know which packages and configurations to use. The KDE editor Kate has syntax highlighting, code collapsing, and project directory support by default, plus further extensions to help along the way.
Conclusion
There are a lot of text editors which you can use to code Python. In this article, I talked about the top best Python IDEs for beginners and pro.