Python is considered a high-level and flexible programming language that is easy to interpret, focusing on code readability. This makes developers opt for the Python programming knowledge that can help them create top-notch applications.
Here are some reasons that make software developers opt for the Python programming language.
What Is Integrated Development Environment (IDE)?
IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment.
IDE is basically a software pack that consists of equipment that is used for developing and testing the software. A developer throughout SDLC uses many tools like editors, libraries, compiling, and testing platforms.
IDE helps to automate the task of a developer by reducing manual efforts and combining all the equipment in a common framework. If IDE is not present, then the developer has to manually do the selections, integrations, and deployment process. IDE was basically developed to simplify the SDLC process, by reducing coding and avoiding typing errors.
In contrast to the IDE, some developers also prefer Code editors. Code Editor is basically a text editor where a developer can write the code for developing any software. The code editor also allows the developer to save small text files for the code.
In comparison to IDE, code editors are fast in operating and have a small size. In fact code, editors possess the capability of executing and debugging code.
Requirements for a Good Python Coding Environment
- Save and Reload Source Code
- Execution from Within the Environment
- Debugging Support
- Syntax Highlighting
- Automatic Code Formatting
PyDev
Type: IDE
Price: Open Source
Platform Support: QT, WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC OS, etc.
Official URL: PyDev
PyDev is an open-source IDE plugin available for Eclipse, a popular Java IDE for open-source development. PyDev comes with all of Eclipse’s built-in control and adds support for Python autocompletion, an interactive console, and debugging.
It is also integrated with Django with many tools suited for web development. It is one of the few IDEs that include support for Jython and Cython.
Pros:
- PyDev provides a strong syntax high lighting, parser errors, code folding, and multi-language support.
- It has a good outline view, marks occurrences as well, and has an interactive console.
- It has good support for CPython, Jython, Iron Python, and Django and allows interactive probing in suspended mode.
- It provides tabs preferences, smart indent, Pylint integration, TODO tasks, auto-completion of keywords, and content assistants.
Cons:
- Sometimes the plugins in PyDev become unstable by creating issues in the development of the application.
- The performance of PyDev IDE decreases if the application is too big with multiple plugins.
PyCharm
Type: IDE.
Price: Freemium
Platform Support: WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC, etc.
Official URL: 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. With PyCharm, the developers can write neat and maintainable code. It helps to be more productive and gives smart assistance to the developers. It takes care of the routine tasks by saving time and thereby increasing profit accordingly.
Pros:
- It provides a smart platform to the developers who help them when it comes to auto code completion, error detection, quick fixing, etc.
- It provides multiple framework support by increasing a lot of cost-saving factors.
- It supports a rich feature like cross-platform development so that the developers can write a script on different platforms.
- PyCharm also comes with a good feature of the customizable interface which in turn increases productivity.
Cons:
- PyCharm is an expensive tool while considering the features and the tools it provides to the client.
- The initial installation is complex and may hang up in between sometimes.
Atom/Atom-IDE
Price: Open Source.
Platform: Linux/macOS/Windows
Official URL: Atom
Type: IDE
Atom includes most of the functionalities of a basic IDE. Among its features are syntax highlighting and auto-completion. Atom’s developers are working on the integration of major programming languages such as Rust or Go. Atom is making progress in improving its performance, and developers are extremely attentive to the needs and opinions of the community, striving to make the user experience more rewarding. There are improvements in the waiting time for opening the software and small improvements in the time required for important calculations to reduce latency. Still, more and more progress is to be expected in the coming months. Atom is one of the best text editors for python.
Pros:
- It is simple and really simple to use.
- Atom allows UI customization for its user.
- It has a lot of support from the crew at GitHub.
- It has a strong feature for quickly opening the file to retrieve data and information.
Cons:
- It takes more time to sort the configurations and plugins as it’s a browser-based app.
- Tabs are clumsy, reduce the performance, and sometimes load slowly.
Visual Studio Code
Type: Source Code Editor.
Price: Open Source.
Platform Support: WINDOWS, LINUX, Mac OS, etc.
Official URL: Visual Studio
Developed by Microsoft for Windows Linux and OS, VS Code is an extensible code editor not to be confused with Visual Studio. Indeed VS Code is small but complete, and the software is open source under an MIT license; this is what characterizes the difference between Visual Studio and VS Code. The first version of the VS Code was published on April 29, 2015. VS Code is comparable to Atom in terms of functionality. VS Code is very well designed overall, and its main advantage is that it offers an extension-based architecture. Because the IDE is lightweight, it can be extended by adding successive components as needed.
Pros:
- It provides multi-language support and many other functionalities that the other languages don’t possess.
- It has a good layout and smart interface.
- It allows the use of many plugins which a developer can get from the VS code marketplace for its customization.
- It supports the use of vertical orientation and multi-split window features.
Cons:
- Searching with visual studio code is very slow.
- Initially, it takes an ample amount of time to launch.
IDLE
Platform: Linux/macOS/Windows
Price: Open Source.
Type: IDE
Official URL: IDLE
Integrated Development and Learning Environment is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) released in December 1998 by Guido Van Rossum for Python development. It is a simple IDE and thus is suitable for beginners. It consists of a multi-window text editor with syntax highlighting and an integrated debugger with stepping, persistent breakpoints, and call stack visibility.
Pros:
- IDLE also supports syntax highlighting, auto code completion, and smart indentation like other IDEs.
- It has a Python shell with a high lighter.
- Integrated debugger with call stack visibility which increases the performance of developers.
- In IDLE, a developer can search within any window, search through multiple files and replace within the windows editor.
Cons:
- It has some normal usage issues, sometimes it lacks focus, and the developer cannot directly copy to the dashboard.
- IDLE does not have the numbering of line option which is a very basic design of the interface.
Spyder
Type: IDE.
Price: Open Source
Platform Support: QT, WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC OS, etc.
Official URL: SPYDER
Spyder is a Python-specific IDE designed for data scientists and ML engineers. It’s included with the Anaconda distribution that provides for other popular Python libraries like Scikit-learn, Numpy, Matplotlib, Scipy, and Pandas.
It includes great features like autocompletion, a powerful debugger, iPython shell, and limited data visualization tools. Spyder is specifically optimized for data science and therefore interfaces perfectly with all the top tools.
Pros:
- It is very efficient in finding and eliminating the bottlenecks to unchain the code performance.
- It has a powerful debugger to trace each step of the script execution smoothly.
- It has a good support feature to instantly view any object documents and modify your own documents.
- It also supports extended plugins to improvise its functionality to a new level.
Cons:
- It is not capable of configuring which warning the developer wants to disable.
- Its performance reduces when too many plugins are invoked at the same time.
Sublime Text
Type: Source Code Editor.
Price: USD $80.
Platform Support: WINDOWS, LINUX, Mac OS, etc.
Official URL: Sublime Text
Sublime Text is a profoundly responsive code editorial manager utilized by a great many designers. Wonderful text upholds various forms of Python and permits you to set your rendition for each undertaking.
Radiant is almost unparalleled in speed, with everything except the biggest records opening quickly. Radiant’s other call to acclaim is its outrageous customization through client fabricated module bundles.
These modules let you change almost anything about the code manager, from appearance to mistake finding, code consummation, and extra language backing, and that’s just the beginning. More modules are added every day, which means Sublime is possibly perhaps the most refreshed apparatus accessible.
Pros:
- It has good compatibility with language grammar.
- It allows a user to choose specific preferences related to projects.
- It also has a GOTO Definition feature to generate an application-wide index of each method, class, and function.
- It shows high performance and has a powerful cross-platform User interface toolkit.
Cons:
- Sublime text can sometimes be intimidating to new users initially.
- It does not have a strong GIT plugin.
