An integrated development environment (IDE) refers to a software application that offers computer programmers with extensive software development abilities. IDEs most often consist of a source code editor, build automation tools, and a debugger. Most modern IDEs have intelligent code completion. In this article, you will discover the best Python IDEs currently available and present in the market.
What is an IDE? An IDE enables programmers to combine the different aspects of writing a computer program.
IDEs increase programmer productivity by introducing features like editing source code, building executables, and debugging. Full Stack Web Developer Course To become an expert in MEAN Stack View Course
Features of an IDE Let’s look at some main features of an IDE: 1. Syntax Highlighting An IDE that knows your language's syntax can provide visual cues and keywords that are easier to read by visually clarifying the language syntax. Code without Syntax Code with Syntax 2. Autocomplete IDEs are generally really good at anticipating what you're more likely to type next, making coding significantly faster and simpler. 3. Building Executables IDE takes care of interpreting the Python code, running python scripts, building executables, and debugging the applications. 4. Debugging In the event that a program does not run correctly, programmers can easily detect their code eros using the debugging tools that IDEs offer.
Top Python IDEs Now that you know about the integrated Development Environment, let's look at a few popular Python IDEs. Note that we won't be ranking these IDEs just for the sake of it because we believe that different IDEs are meant for various purposes. But, we will indeed discuss which IDE you should use according to your needs or requirements. This will help remove any doubts that you may have and help you make a choice that best suits your purpose. 1. IDLE IDLE (Integrated Development and Learning Environment) is a default editor that accompanies Python
This IDE is suitable for beginner level developers
The IDLE tool can be used on Mac OS, Windows, and Linux
Price: Free Most notable features of IDLE include: Ability to search for multiple files
Interactive interpreter with syntax highlighting, and error and i/o messages
Smart indenting, along with basic text editor features
A very capable debugger Image Source: Stack overflow 2. PyCharm PyCharm is a widely used Python IDE created by JetBrains
This IDE is suitable for professional developers and facilitates the development of large Python projects
Price: Freemium The most notable features of PyCharm include: Support for JavaScript, CSS, and TypeScript
Smart code navigation
Quick and safe code refactoring
Support features like accessing databases directly from the IDE 3. Visual Studio Code Visual Studio Code is an open-source (and free) IDE created by Microsoft. It finds great use for Python development
VS Code is lightweight and comes with powerful features that only some of the paid IDEs offer
Price: Free The most notable features of Visual Studio Code include: One of the best smart code completion is based on various factors
Git integration
Code debugging within the editor
It provides an extension to add additional features like code linting, themes, and other services FREE Data Science With Python Course Start Learning Data Science with Python for FREE Start Learning 4. Sublime Text 3 Sublime Text is a very popular code editor. It supports many languages, including Python
It is highly customizable and also offers fast development speeds and reliability
Price: Free The most notable features of Sublime Text 3 include: Syntax highlighting
Custom user commands for using the IDE
Efficient project directory management
It supports additional packages for the web and scientific Python development 5. Atom Atom is an open-source code editor by Github and supports Python development
Atom is similar to Sublime Text and provides almost the same features emphasis on speed and usability
Price: Free The most notable features of Atom include: Support for a large number of plugins
Smart autocompletion
Supports custom commands for the user to interact with the editor
Support for cross-platform development Looking forward to make a move to programming? Take up the Python Training Course and begin your career as a professional Python programmer. 6. Jupyter Jupyter is widely used in the field of data science
It is easy to use, interactive and allows live code sharing and visualization
Price: Free The most notable features of Jupyter include: Supports for the numerical calculations and machine learning workflow
Combine code, text, and images for greater user experience
Intergeneration of data science libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib Free Course: Programming with Python Learn the Basics of Programming with Python Enroll Now 7. Spyder Spyder is an open-source IDE most commonly used for scientific development
Spyder comes with Anaconda distribution, which is popular for data science and machine learning
Price: Free The most notable features of Spyder include: Support for automatic code completion and splitting
Supports plotting different types of charts and data manipulation
Integration of data science libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib 8. PyDev PyDev is a strong python interpreter and is distributed as a third-party plugin for Eclipse IDE
Being flexible, it is one of the preferred open-source IDE by the developers
Price: Free The most notable features of PyDev include: Django integration, auto code completion, and code coverage
Supports type hinting, refactoring, as well as debugging and code analysis
Good support for Python web development 9. Thonny Thonny is an IDE ideal for teaching and learning Python programming
Price: Free The most notable features of Thonny include: Simple debugger
Function evaluation
Automatic syntax error detection
Detailed view of variables used in a Python program or project 10. Wing The wing is also a popular IDE that provides a lot of good features to ensure a productive environment
Wing offers a 30-day trial version for the developers to check and understand the features of this IDE
Price: US $95 - US$179 for commercial license The most notable features of Wing include: It provides immediate feedback to your Python code
It provides support for test-driven development with unit tests, Pytest, and Django testing framework.
It assists in remote development
Auto code completion is present Python Training Course Learn Data Operations in Python Explore Course
Which IDE to Use When? We will divide the preference into three categories: 1. Based on Your Level of Knowledge Beginner - IDLE, Thonny would be the perfect choice for first-time programmers who are just getting into Python.
Intermediate - For intermediate level users PyCharm, VS Code, Atom, Sublime Text 3 are good options. 2. Based on Your End Goal Data Science - Spyder, Jupyter Notebook, PyCharm professional (Paid).
Web Development - VS Code, PyCharm professional (Paid).
Scripting - Atom, PyDev, Sublime Text 3, PyCharm Community (Free). 3. Based on the Hardware You Use Basic (Pentium, Celeron) - IDLE, Atom, Sublime Text 3, Online IDEs.
Developer (Intel core series) - PyCharm, Jupyter, Spyder, VS Code, Eclipse + PyDev.
Which IDE Do We Recommend? The preference of IDE should depend on your requirements. Here are different scenarios for you to help you decide which IDE to use. Data Science - Jupyter Notebook.
Web Development - VS Code.
Scripting - PyCharm Community (Free)
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