Comparison of the best Python IDEs and code editors
There are several Python IDEs and editors that are covered in this article. All the information needed to choose the best IDE for your organization is explained here.
1) PyCharm.
- Type : HELP.
- Price : US $199 per user - 1st year for the professional developer.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC etc.
PyCharm is one of the most used Python IDEs that was created by Jet Brains. It's one of the best IDEs for Python. PyCharm is everything a developer needs for productive Python development.
With PyCharm, developers can write code that is neat and easy to maintain. It helps to be more productive and provides intelligent support for developers. It takes care of routine tasks saving time and thus increasing profits accordingly.
Features
- It has an intelligent Python editor, intelligent code navigation, and fast and safe refactoring.
- PyCharm is integrated with features such as debugging, testing, profiling, deployments, remote development, and database tools.
- With Python, PyCharm also supports python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Angular JS web development frameworks, and live editing functions.
- It has powerful integration with IPython Notebook, the python console, and the scientific stack.
Benefits
- It provides an intelligent platform for developers that helps them when it comes to automatically completing code, detecting errors, fixing them quickly, and more.
- It provides support for multiple frameworks by increasing numerous cost reduction factors.
- It supports rich functionality like cross-platform development, so developers can write a script on different platforms as well.
- PyCharm also has a customizable interface, which increases productivity.
Disadvantages
- PyCharm is an expensive tool when you consider the features and tools it provides to the customer.
- The initial installation is difficult and can sometimes get stuck.
2) Spyder.
- Type : HELP.
- Price : Open Source
- Platforms : QT, WINDOWS, LINUX, MACOS, etc.
SPYDER is another big name in the FDI market. It's a good Python compiler.
He is famous for developing Python. It was primarily developed for scientists and engineers to provide a powerful scientific environment for Python. It offers an advanced level of editing, debugging, and data exploration functions. It is very extensible and has a good plugin system and a good API.
Because SPYDER uses PYQT, a developer can also use it as an extension. It is a powerful IDE.
Features
- It's a good IDE with syntax highlighting, automatic code completion function.
- SPYDER is able to explore and modify variables from within the graphical interface itself.
- It works perfectly well in the multi-language editor with functions and automatic code completion, etc.
- It has a powerful integration with the ipython console, interacts and changes variables along the way, allowing the developer to execute the code line by line or by cell.
Benefits
- It is very effective at finding and eliminating bottlenecks to free up code performance.
- It has a powerful debugger that allows you to trace each step of the script execution smoothly.
- It has a good helper function to instantly view any object document and edit your own documents.
- It also supports extended plugins to improve its functionality.
Disadvantages
- It is not capable of configuring the warning that the developer wants to deactivate.
- Its performance decreases when too many plugins are invoked at the same time.
3) Pydev.
- Type : HELP
- Price : Open Source
- Platforms : QT, WINDOWS, LINUX, MACOS, etc.
PyDev is an external plugin for Eclipse.
It is essentially an IDE that is used for Python development. It is linear in size. It mainly focuses on refactoring python code, debugging in the graphical model, code analysis, etc. It is a powerful python interpreter.
As it is a plugin for Eclipse, it becomes more flexible for developers to use the IDE for developing an application with so many features. In the open source IDE, it is one of the most preferred IDEs for developers.
Features
- It's a nice IDE with Django integration, automatic code completion, and code coverage.
- It supports rich features such as type indication, refactoring, debugging, and code analysis.
- PyDev supports PyLint integration, Token Browser, Interactive Console, Unittest Integration, Remote Debugger, etc.
- It also supports Mypy, the black formatter, virtual environments, and f-string analysis.
Benefits
- PyDev provides strong syntax insight, parser errors, code folding, and multi-language support.
- It has a good overview, it also marks occurrences and has an interactive console.
- It offers good support for CPython, Jython, Iron Python, and Django and allows interactively probing in suspended mode.
- It offers tab preferences, smart indentation, Pylint integration, TODO tasks, keyword autocompletion, and content assistants.
Disadvantages
- Sometimes PyDev plugins become unstable by creating problems in application development.
- The performance of the PyDev IDE decreases if the application is too big with several plugins.
5) IDLE.
- Type : HELP.
- Price : Open source.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MACOS etc.
IDLE is a popular integrated development environment written in Python and has been integrated into the language by default. It's one of the best IDEs for Python.
IDLE is a very simple and basic IDE that is mainly used by beginner developers who want to practice Python development. It is also cross-platform, which helps developers in training a lot, but it is also considered a disposable IDE, as a developer switches to a more advanced IDE after learning the basics.
Features
- IDLE is developed purely in Python with the use of the Tkinter GUI toolkit and is also cross-platform, which increases flexibility for developers.
- It has a good multi-window text editor feature that has lots of features like call tips, smart indentation, cancellation, and python colorization.
- It has a powerful debugger with continuous breakpoints, a global view, and local spaces.
- It also supports editable dialogs, browsers, and configurations.
Benefits
- IDLE also supports syntax highlighting, automatic code completion, and smart indentation like other IDEs.
- It has a python shell with a high lighter.
- Integrated debugger with call stack visibility that increases developer performance.
- In IDLE, a developer can search in any window, search in multiple files, and replace in the window editor.
Disadvantages
- It has some normal usability issues, it's sometimes inaccurate, and the developer can't copy directly to the dashboard.
- IDLE does not have the line numbering option, which is a very basic interface design.
6) Wing.
- Type : HELP
- Price : US $95 to US $179 PER USER FOR COMMERCIAL USE.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MACOS etc.
Wing is also a popular and powerful IDE in today's market, with lots of interesting features that developers need for python development.
It comes with a powerful debugger and the best Python editor that makes interactive Python development fast, accurate, and fun to do. Wing also offers a 30-day trial so developers can get a feel for its features.
Features
- Wing helps you navigate the code by defining what to do, finding uses and symbols in the application, editing the symbol index, navigating sources, and efficiently searching multiple files.
- It supports test-driven development with unit testing, pytest, and the Django testing framework.
- It facilitates remote development and is also customizable and extensible.
- It also has automatic code completion, the error is displayed in a feasible manner, and line editing is also possible.
Benefits
- If the trial version expires, Wing gives developers approximately 10 minutes to migrate their application.
- It has a source browser that allows you to display all the variables used in the script.
- The Wing IDE provides an additional exception handling tab that helps the developer debug the code.
- It provides an extraction function that can be found under the refactoring panel and is also a good help for developers to increase performance.
Disadvantages
- It is not capable of taking care of the dark themes that many developers like to use.
- The wing interface can be intimidating at first and the commercial version is far too expensive.
7) Eric Python.
- Type : HELP.
- Price : Open source.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MACOS etc.
Eric is a powerful and feature-rich Python editor that is developed in Python itself. Eric can be used as part of daily business or for professional developers.
It is developed on the cross-platform QT toolkit that is integrated into the flexible Scintilla editor. Eric has an integrated plugin system that allows you to easily extend the functions of the IDE.
Features
- ERIC has numerous editors, a configurable window layout, advice on folding and calling source code, error lighting, and advanced search functions.
- It has an advanced project management tool, an integrated classroom browser, version control, cooperation functions, and source code.
- It offers cooperative functions, an integrated debugger, integrated task management, profiling and code coverage support.
- It supports application diagrams, syntax highlighting, and the automatic code completion function.
Benefits
- ERIC allows integrated support for unittest, CORBA, and Google Protobuf.
- It has numerous helpers for regexes, QT dialog boxes, and tools for previewing QT forms and translations making it easier for the developer.
- It supports web browsers and has a spell check library that helps avoid mistakes.
- It also supports localization and has a string refactoring tool for development.
Disadvantages
- The installation of ERIC sometimes becomes clunky and its graphical interface is not simple and easy.
- When developers try to integrate too many plugins, IDE productivity and performance decrease.
8) Thonny.
- Type : HELP.
- Price : Open source.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MacOS etc.
Thonny IDE is one of the best IDEs for beginners who don't have previous Python experience to learn Python development.
It's very basic and simple in terms of features that even new developers easily understand. It is very useful for users who use the virtual environment.
Features
- Thonny allows users to check how programs and shell commands affect python variables.
- It provides a simple debugger with the F5, F6, and F7 function keys for debugging.
- It offers the user the ability to see how Python internally evaluates written expression.
- It also supports the proper representation of function calls, error highlighting, and the automatic code completion function.
Benefits
- It has a very simple and clean graphical user interface.
- It is very beginner-friendly and takes care of PATH and issues with other python interpreters.
- The user has the option of changing the way in which the reference is explained.
- It makes it possible to explain the ranges by highlighting the points.
Disadvantages
- The interface design is not good at all and is limited to text editing; it also does not support templates.
- Plugin creation is really slow and developers lack a lot of features.
9) Rodeo.
- Type : HELP.
- Price : Open source.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MacOS etc.
Rodeo is one of the best IDEs for Python that has been developed for data science tasks like taking data and information from different resources and also tracing for problems.
It supports cross-platform features. It can also be used as an IDE to experiment interactively.
Features
- It takes care of all the functions required for data science or machine learning tasks, like loading data and experimenting in a certain way.
- It allows developers to interact, compare data, inspect, and trace.
- Rodeo provides clean code, code autocompletion, high syntax lighting, and IPython support to write code more quickly.
- It also has a visual file browser, which allows you to click and point to directories, and the search for packages makes it easier for developers.
Benefits
- It is a lightweight, highly customizable, and intuitive development environment, which makes it unique.
- It has both a text editor and a Python console.
- It includes all supporting documents in the last tab for better understanding.
- It has a Vim and Emacs mode and allows the execution of a single code or in bulk.
- Rodeo can also automatically update to the latest version.
Disadvantages
- It is not maintained properly.
- No extensive support from company staff in the event of a problem.
The best Python code editors
Code editors are essentially text editors that are used to modify the source code as needed.
These can be integrated or standalone applications. Since they are monofunctional, they are also very fast. Below are some of the best code editors that are preferred by Python developers around the world.
1) Sublime Text.
- Type : Source code editor.
- Price : $80
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MacOS etc.
Sublime Text is a very popular cross-platform text editor, developed on C++ and Python and also has a Python API.
It is developed in such a way that it supports many other programming and markup languages. It allows a user to add other functions with the help of plugins. It is more reliable than other code editors, according to the opinion of the developers.
Features
- Sublime text has the GOTO function to open files in a few clicks and can navigate to words or symbols.
- It has an important multi-selection feature that allows you to edit multiple items at once, as well as a palette of commands that allow you to sort, change syntax, indentation, etc.
- It offers high performance, a powerful API, and a package ecosystem.
- It's highly customizable, allows for split editing, allows for instant project switching, and is also cross-platform.
Benefits
- It has good compatibility with language grammars.
- It allows a user to choose specific preferences related to projects.
- It also has a GOTO Definition function that allows an index of each method, class, and function to be generated at the application level.
- It is highly capable and has a powerful cross-platform user interface toolkit.
Disadvantages
- Sublime text can sometimes be intimidating for new users at first.
- It does not have a powerful GIT plugin.
2) Vim.
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- Type : Source code editor.
- prix : Open source.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MacOS, IOS, Android, UNIX, AmigaOS, MorphOS, etc.
Vim is a popular open source text editor that is used to create and edit any type of text and is highly configurable.
According to the developers, VIM is a very stable text editor, and the quality of its performance increases with each new release. The Vim text editor can be used as a command line interface as well as a standalone application.
Features
- VIM is very persistent and also has a multi-level cancellation tree.
- It comes with an extensive plugin system.
- It offers a wide range of support for numerous programming languages and files.
- It has powerful integration, search, and replacement functionality.
Benefits
- Vim offers two different working modes for the user, namely normal mode and edit mode.
- It comes with its own scripting language that allows the user to change custom behavior and functionality.
- It also takes care of non-programming applications that not all other editors have.
- The character strings in the VIM are nothing but command sequences so that the developer can save and reuse them.
Disadvantages
- It is a text editing tool only and there is no different color for the pop-up window displayed.
- It doesn't have an easy learning curve and becomes difficult to learn at first.
3) Visual Studio Code.
- Type : Source code editor.
- Price : Open source.
- Platforms : WINDOWS, LINUX, MacOS etc.
Visual Studio Code is an open-source code editor that was developed primarily for developing and debugging the latest web and cloud projects.
It is capable of combining both an editor and good development features in a very smooth manner. It is one of the main choices for python developers.
Features
- It supports syntax highlighting and the automatic code completion function with IntelliSense that completes the syntax based on variable types, function definitions, and more.
- It has a powerful debugger and the user can debug from within the editor himself.
- It is heavily integrated with GIT, so a user can perform GIT operations such as push, commit directly from the editor itself.
- Visual Studio is highly extensible and customizable, making it possible to add languages, debuggers, themes, and more.
Benefits
- It offers multi-language support and lots of other features that other languages don't have.
- It has a good layout and a smart interface.
- It allows the use of numerous plugins that a developer can obtain on the VS Code marketplace for customization.
- It supports the use of vertical orientation and the multi-split window function.
Disadvantages
- Searching with Visual Studio Code is very slow.
- Initially, it takes a long time to launch.
What is an integrated development environment (IDE)?
IDE stands for “Integrated Development Environment”.
The IDE is essentially a software package that consists of equipment used to develop and test the software. Throughout the SDLC, a developer uses numerous tools such as editors, libraries, compilation and testing platforms.
The IDE makes it possible to automate a developer's task by reducing manual efforts and combining all equipment in a common framework. If the IDE is not present, the developer must then manually complete the selections, integrations, and deployment process.
The IDE was primarily developed to simplify the SDLC process, reducing coding and avoiding typing errors.
Unlike the IDE, some developers also prefer code editors.
The code editor is essentially a text editor where a developer can write the code to develop any software. The code editor also allows the developer to save small text files
for the code.
Compared to IDEs, code editors work quickly and are small in size. In fact, code editors have the ability to execute and debug code.
FAQs
Below are the most frequently asked questions about the best IDE for Python and the code editor.
What is an IDE and a text or code editor?
The IDE is a development environment that provides numerous features such as coding, compilation, debugging, execution, autocompletion, libraries, in one place for the developer, which simplifies tasks, while the Python editor is a platform for editing and modifying code only.
What is the difference between an IDE and a text editor?
The IDE and the text editor can be used one in place of the other to develop any software. The text editor helps the programmer write scripts, edit code or text, etc.
But with the IDE, a programmer can also perform several other functions like code execution, version control, debugging, interpretation, compilation, the auto-completion function, the auto-linting function, the predefined functions, and the build terminal, etc.
The IDE can be thought of as a development environment in which a programmer can write the script, compile, and debug the implementation process.
EDI also has an integrated file management system and a deployment tool. The IDE offers support for SVN, CVS, FTP, SFTP, framework etc. Basically, a text editor is a simple editor to modify the source code and does not have built-in tools or packages.
An advantage of the text editor is that it allows editing all types of files rather than specifying a particular language or types. Both play an important role in their respective situations when used.
Summary
Hopefully, this article has given you a clear idea of what Python IDEs and source code editors are.
This article discusses the Python IDE that is most used by most developers in the world.
We also saw the pros and cons of each IDE, based on which developers decide to choose the IDE that best fits their project.
Large companies: Since these industries have both financial resources and manpower, they prefer IDEs like PyCharm, Atom, Sublime Text, Wing, etc., in order to benefit from all the functionalities and extensive support from businesses for all their problems.
Medium and small businesses: As these industries are looking for tools that are open source and cover most features, they prefer Spyder, PyDev, IDEL, ERIC Python, and Visual Studio Code for their projects.
