>A Byte of Python

Choosing an Editor

Before we get started on writing Python programs in a source file, we need an editor to create the source files. The choice of an editor is very crucial indeed. You have to choose an editor as you would choose a car you would buy. A good editor will help you write Python programs easily, making your journey more comfortable and helps you reach your destination (achieve your goal) in a much faster and safer way.

One of the basic requirements is syntax highlighting where the Python keywords, operators, strings, etc. i.e. the things that are special to Python are colorized so that you can see your program and visualize its running.

If you are using Windows, then I suggest that you stick with IDLE. IDLE does syntax highlighting and a lot more such as allowing you to run your programs from within IDLE and so on. Whatever you do, don't use Notepad - because, among other things, we will need indentation and it would be tedious to type it in Notepad compared to other good editors such as IDLE which will automatically help you with this.

If you are using Linux/FreeBSD, then I suggest that you use KWrite or you can use IDLE as well. If you are an experienced programmer, then you must be already using VIM or Emacs or XEmacs. Even Microsoft people use VIM and Emacs while demoing their .NET programs at their famous Professional Developers' Conference (PDC). VIM and XEmacs are available for Windows and are always part of the standard Linux and BSD systems.

I personally use VIM for most of my programs but occasionally I do use XEmacs. These two programs are the most powerful editors you can ever find. If you intend to do a lot of programming or even editing, then I highly recommend that you learn one of these editors. There are tutorials that come with these editors to help you get started.

If you still want to explore other choices, please see the comprehensive list of Python Editors at Python.org - take a look and make your choice. I repeat, please choose a proper editor - it will help you a lot in the long run.