.. _idle:

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

* 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 window

   create a new 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

Windows menu

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Zoom Height

   toggles the window between normal size (24x80) 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).

Debug menu (in the Python Shell window only)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Go to file/line

   look around the insert point for a filename and linenumber, open the file, and

   show the line.

Open stack viewer

   show the stack traceback of the last exception

Debugger toggle

   Run commands in the shell under the debugger

JIT Stack viewer toggle

   Open stack viewer on traceback

.. index::

   single: stack viewer

   single: debugger

Basic editing and navigation

----------------------------

* :kbd:`Backspace` deletes to the left; :kbd:`Del` deletes to the right

* Arrow keys and :kbd:`Page Up`/:kbd:`Page Down` to move around

* :kbd:`Home`/:kbd:`End` go to begin/end of line

* :kbd:`C-Home`/:kbd:`C-End` go to begin/end of file

* 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

* :kbd:`C-D` sends end-of-file; closes window if typed at a ``>>>`` prompt

* :kbd:`Alt-p` retrieves previous command matching what you have typed

* :kbd:`Alt-n` retrieves next

* :kbd:`Return` while on any previous command retrieves that command

* :kbd:`Alt-/` (Expand word) is also useful here

.. 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

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 :option:`-e` is used, arguments are files opened for editing and

   ``sys.argv`` reflects the arguments passed to IDLE itself.

#. Otherwise, if :option:`-c` is used, all arguments are placed in

   ``sys.argv[1:...]``, with ``sys.argv[0]`` set to ``'-c'``.

#. Otherwise, if neither :option:`-e` nor :option:`-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``.