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<div class="section" id="idle">
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<span id="id1"></span><h1>IDLE<a class="headerlink" href="#idle" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h1>
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<p><strong>Source code:</strong> <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/python/cpython/tree/main/Lib/idlelib/">Lib/idlelib/</a></p>
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<hr class="docutils" id="index-0" />
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<p>IDLE is Python’s Integrated Development and Learning Environment.</p>
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<p>IDLE has the following features:</p>
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<ul class="simple">
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<li><p>coded in 100% pure Python, using the <a class="reference internal" href="tkinter.html#module-tkinter" title="tkinter: Interface to Tcl/Tk for graphical user interfaces"><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">tkinter</span></code></a> GUI toolkit</p></li>
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<li><p>cross-platform: works mostly the same on Windows, Unix, and macOS</p></li>
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<li><p>Python shell window (interactive interpreter) with colorizing
|
||
of code input, output, and error messages</p></li>
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<li><p>multi-window text editor with multiple undo, Python colorizing,
|
||
smart indent, call tips, auto completion, and other features</p></li>
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<li><p>search within any window, replace within editor windows, and search
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||
through multiple files (grep)</p></li>
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<li><p>debugger with persistent breakpoints, stepping, and viewing
|
||
of global and local namespaces</p></li>
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<li><p>configuration, browsers, and other dialogs</p></li>
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</ul>
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<div class="section" id="menus">
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<h2>Menus<a class="headerlink" href="#menus" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
|
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<p>IDLE has two main window types, the Shell window and the Editor window. It is
|
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possible to have multiple editor windows simultaneously. On Windows and
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Linux, each has its own top menu. Each menu documented below indicates
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which window type it is associated with.</p>
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<p>Output windows, such as used for Edit => Find in Files, are a subtype of editor
|
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window. They currently have the same top menu but a different
|
||
default title and context menu.</p>
|
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<p>On macOS, there is one application menu. It dynamically changes according
|
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to the window currently selected. It has an IDLE menu, and some entries
|
||
described below are moved around to conform to Apple guidelines.</p>
|
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<div class="section" id="file-menu-shell-and-editor">
|
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<h3>File menu (Shell and Editor)<a class="headerlink" href="#file-menu-shell-and-editor" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
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<dl class="simple">
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||
<dt>New File</dt><dd><p>Create a new file editing window.</p>
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||
</dd>
|
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<dt>Open…</dt><dd><p>Open an existing file with an Open dialog.</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Recent Files</dt><dd><p>Open a list of recent files. Click one to open it.</p>
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||
</dd>
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<dt>Open Module…</dt><dd><p>Open an existing module (searches sys.path).</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
</dl>
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||
<dl class="simple" id="index-1">
|
||
<dt>Class Browser</dt><dd><p>Show functions, classes, and methods in the current Editor file in a
|
||
tree structure. In the shell, open a module first.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Path Browser</dt><dd><p>Show sys.path directories, modules, functions, classes and methods in a
|
||
tree structure.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Save</dt><dd><p>Save the current window to the associated file, if there is one. Windows
|
||
that have been changed since being opened or last saved have a * before
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||
and after the window title. If there is no associated file,
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||
do Save As instead.</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Save As…</dt><dd><p>Save the current window with a Save As dialog. The file saved becomes the
|
||
new associated file for the window.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Save Copy As…</dt><dd><p>Save the current window to different file without changing the associated
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||
file.</p>
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||
</dd>
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<dt>Print Window</dt><dd><p>Print the current window to the default printer.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Close</dt><dd><p>Close the current window (ask to save if unsaved).</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Exit</dt><dd><p>Close all windows and quit IDLE (ask to save unsaved windows).</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</div>
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||
<div class="section" id="edit-menu-shell-and-editor">
|
||
<h3>Edit menu (Shell and Editor)<a class="headerlink" href="#edit-menu-shell-and-editor" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Undo</dt><dd><p>Undo the last change to the current window. A maximum of 1000 changes may
|
||
be undone.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Redo</dt><dd><p>Redo the last undone change to the current window.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Cut</dt><dd><p>Copy selection into the system-wide clipboard; then delete the selection.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Copy</dt><dd><p>Copy selection into the system-wide clipboard.</p>
|
||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Paste</dt><dd><p>Insert contents of the system-wide clipboard into the current window.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
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||
<p>The clipboard functions are also available in context menus.</p>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Select All</dt><dd><p>Select the entire contents of the current window.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Find…</dt><dd><p>Open a search dialog with many options</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Find Again</dt><dd><p>Repeat the last search, if there is one.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Find Selection</dt><dd><p>Search for the currently selected string, if there is one.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Find in Files…</dt><dd><p>Open a file search dialog. Put results in a new output window.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Replace…</dt><dd><p>Open a search-and-replace dialog.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Go to Line</dt><dd><p>Move the cursor to the beginning of the line requested and make that
|
||
line visible. A request past the end of the file goes to the end.
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||
Clear any selection and update the line and column status.</p>
|
||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Show Completions</dt><dd><p>Open a scrollable list allowing selection of existing names. See
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||
<a class="reference internal" href="#completions"><span class="std std-ref">Completions</span></a> in the Editing and navigation section below.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Expand Word</dt><dd><p>Expand a prefix you have typed to match a full word in the same window;
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||
repeat to get a different expansion.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Show call tip</dt><dd><p>After an unclosed parenthesis for a function, open a small window with
|
||
function parameter hints. See <a class="reference internal" href="#calltips"><span class="std std-ref">Calltips</span></a> in the
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||
Editing and navigation section below.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Show surrounding parens</dt><dd><p>Highlight the surrounding parenthesis.</p>
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||
</dd>
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||
</dl>
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||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="format-menu-editor-window-only">
|
||
<span id="format-menu"></span><h3>Format menu (Editor window only)<a class="headerlink" href="#format-menu-editor-window-only" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Indent Region</dt><dd><p>Shift selected lines right by the indent width (default 4 spaces).</p>
|
||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Dedent Region</dt><dd><p>Shift selected lines left by the indent width (default 4 spaces).</p>
|
||
</dd>
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||
<dt>Comment Out Region</dt><dd><p>Insert ## in front of selected lines.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Uncomment Region</dt><dd><p>Remove leading # or ## from selected lines.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Tabify Region</dt><dd><p>Turn <em>leading</em> stretches of spaces into tabs. (Note: We recommend using
|
||
4 space blocks to indent Python code.)</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Untabify Region</dt><dd><p>Turn <em>all</em> tabs into the correct number of spaces.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Toggle Tabs</dt><dd><p>Open a dialog to switch between indenting with spaces and tabs.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>New Indent Width</dt><dd><p>Open a dialog to change indent width. The accepted default by the Python
|
||
community is 4 spaces.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Format Paragraph</dt><dd><p>Reformat the current blank-line-delimited paragraph in comment block or
|
||
multiline string or selected line in a string. All lines in the
|
||
paragraph will be formatted to less than N columns, where N defaults to 72.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Strip trailing whitespace</dt><dd><p>Remove trailing space and other whitespace characters after the last
|
||
non-whitespace character of a line by applying str.rstrip to each line,
|
||
including lines within multiline strings. Except for Shell windows,
|
||
remove extra newlines at the end of the file.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="run-menu-editor-window-only">
|
||
<span id="index-2"></span><h3>Run menu (Editor window only)<a class="headerlink" href="#run-menu-editor-window-only" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<dl class="simple" id="run-module">
|
||
<dt>Run Module</dt><dd><p>Do <a class="reference internal" href="#check-module"><span class="std std-ref">Check Module</span></a>. If no error, restart the shell to clean the
|
||
environment, then execute the module. Output is displayed in the Shell
|
||
window. Note that output requires use of <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">print</span></code> or <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">write</span></code>.
|
||
When execution is complete, the Shell retains focus and displays a prompt.
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||
At this point, one may interactively explore the result of execution.
|
||
This is similar to executing a file with <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">python</span> <span class="pre">-i</span> <span class="pre">file</span></code> at a command
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line.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<dl class="simple" id="run-custom">
|
||
<dt>Run… Customized</dt><dd><p>Same as <a class="reference internal" href="#run-module"><span class="std std-ref">Run Module</span></a>, but run the module with customized
|
||
settings. <em>Command Line Arguments</em> extend <a class="reference internal" href="sys.html#sys.argv" title="sys.argv"><code class="xref py py-data docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.argv</span></code></a> as if passed
|
||
on a command line. The module can be run in the Shell without restarting.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<dl class="simple" id="check-module">
|
||
<dt>Check Module</dt><dd><p>Check the syntax of the module currently open in the Editor window. If the
|
||
module has not been saved IDLE will either prompt the user to save or
|
||
autosave, as selected in the General tab of the Idle Settings dialog. If
|
||
there is a syntax error, the approximate location is indicated in the
|
||
Editor window.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<dl class="simple" id="python-shell">
|
||
<dt>Python Shell</dt><dd><p>Open or wake up the Python Shell window.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="shell-menu-shell-window-only">
|
||
<h3>Shell menu (Shell window only)<a class="headerlink" href="#shell-menu-shell-window-only" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>View Last Restart</dt><dd><p>Scroll the shell window to the last Shell restart.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Restart Shell</dt><dd><p>Restart the shell to clean the environment and reset display and exception handling.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Previous History</dt><dd><p>Cycle through earlier commands in history which match the current entry.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Next History</dt><dd><p>Cycle through later commands in history which match the current entry.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Interrupt Execution</dt><dd><p>Stop a running program.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="debug-menu-shell-window-only">
|
||
<h3>Debug menu (Shell window only)<a class="headerlink" href="#debug-menu-shell-window-only" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Go to File/Line</dt><dd><p>Look on the current line. with the cursor, and the line above for a filename
|
||
and line number. If found, open the file if not already open, and show the
|
||
line. Use this to view source lines referenced in an exception traceback
|
||
and lines found by Find in Files. Also available in the context menu of
|
||
the Shell window and Output windows.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<dl class="simple" id="index-3">
|
||
<dt>Debugger (toggle)</dt><dd><p>When activated, code entered in the Shell or run from an Editor will run
|
||
under the debugger. In the Editor, breakpoints can be set with the context
|
||
menu. This feature is still incomplete and somewhat experimental.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Stack Viewer</dt><dd><p>Show the stack traceback of the last exception in a tree widget, with
|
||
access to locals and globals.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Auto-open Stack Viewer</dt><dd><p>Toggle automatically opening the stack viewer on an unhandled exception.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="options-menu-shell-and-editor">
|
||
<h3>Options menu (Shell and Editor)<a class="headerlink" href="#options-menu-shell-and-editor" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Configure IDLE</dt><dd><p>Open a configuration dialog and change preferences for the following:
|
||
fonts, indentation, keybindings, text color themes, startup windows and
|
||
size, additional help sources, and extensions. On macOS, open the
|
||
configuration dialog by selecting Preferences in the application
|
||
menu. For more details, see
|
||
<a class="reference internal" href="#preferences"><span class="std std-ref">Setting preferences</span></a> under Help and preferences.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<p>Most configuration options apply to all windows or all future windows.
|
||
The option items below only apply to the active window.</p>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Show/Hide Code Context (Editor Window only)</dt><dd><p>Open a pane at the top of the edit window which shows the block context
|
||
of the code which has scrolled above the top of the window. See
|
||
<a class="reference internal" href="#code-context"><span class="std std-ref">Code Context</span></a> in the Editing and Navigation section
|
||
below.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Show/Hide Line Numbers (Editor Window only)</dt><dd><p>Open a column to the left of the edit window which shows the number
|
||
of each line of text. The default is off, which may be changed in the
|
||
preferences (see <a class="reference internal" href="#preferences"><span class="std std-ref">Setting preferences</span></a>).</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Zoom/Restore Height</dt><dd><p>Toggles the window between normal size and maximum height. The initial size
|
||
defaults to 40 lines by 80 chars unless changed on the General tab of the
|
||
Configure IDLE dialog. The maximum height for a screen is determined by
|
||
momentarily maximizing a window the first time one is zoomed on the screen.
|
||
Changing screen settings may invalidate the saved height. This toggle has
|
||
no effect when a window is maximized.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="window-menu-shell-and-editor">
|
||
<h3>Window menu (Shell and Editor)<a class="headerlink" href="#window-menu-shell-and-editor" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>Lists the names of all open windows; select one to bring it to the foreground
|
||
(deiconifying it if necessary).</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="help-menu-shell-and-editor">
|
||
<h3>Help menu (Shell and Editor)<a class="headerlink" href="#help-menu-shell-and-editor" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>About IDLE</dt><dd><p>Display version, copyright, license, credits, and more.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>IDLE Help</dt><dd><p>Display this IDLE document, detailing the menu options, basic editing and
|
||
navigation, and other tips.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Python Docs</dt><dd><p>Access local Python documentation, if installed, or start a web browser
|
||
and open docs.python.org showing the latest Python documentation.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Turtle Demo</dt><dd><p>Run the turtledemo module with example Python code and turtle drawings.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<p>Additional help sources may be added here with the Configure IDLE dialog under
|
||
the General tab. See the <a class="reference internal" href="#help-sources"><span class="std std-ref">Help sources</span></a> subsection below
|
||
for more on Help menu choices.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="context-menus">
|
||
<span id="index-4"></span><h3>Context Menus<a class="headerlink" href="#context-menus" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>Open a context menu by right-clicking in a window (Control-click on macOS).
|
||
Context menus have the standard clipboard functions also on the Edit menu.</p>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Cut</dt><dd><p>Copy selection into the system-wide clipboard; then delete the selection.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Copy</dt><dd><p>Copy selection into the system-wide clipboard.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Paste</dt><dd><p>Insert contents of the system-wide clipboard into the current window.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<p>Editor windows also have breakpoint functions. Lines with a breakpoint set are
|
||
specially marked. Breakpoints only have an effect when running under the
|
||
debugger. Breakpoints for a file are saved in the user’s <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">.idlerc</span></code>
|
||
directory.</p>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Set Breakpoint</dt><dd><p>Set a breakpoint on the current line.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
<dt>Clear Breakpoint</dt><dd><p>Clear the breakpoint on that line.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<p>Shell and Output windows also have the following.</p>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Go to file/line</dt><dd><p>Same as in Debug menu.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
<p>The Shell window also has an output squeezing facility explained in the <em>Python
|
||
Shell window</em> subsection below.</p>
|
||
<dl class="simple">
|
||
<dt>Squeeze</dt><dd><p>If the cursor is over an output line, squeeze all the output between
|
||
the code above and the prompt below down to a ‘Squeezed text’ label.</p>
|
||
</dd>
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="editing-and-navigation">
|
||
<span id="id2"></span><h2>Editing and navigation<a class="headerlink" href="#editing-and-navigation" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
|
||
<div class="section" id="editor-windows">
|
||
<h3>Editor windows<a class="headerlink" href="#editor-windows" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>IDLE may open editor windows when it starts, depending on settings
|
||
and how you start IDLE. Thereafter, use the File menu. There can be only
|
||
one open editor window for a given file.</p>
|
||
<p>The title bar contains the name of the file, the full path, and the version
|
||
of Python and IDLE running the window. The status bar contains the line
|
||
number (‘Ln’) and column number (‘Col’). Line numbers start with 1;
|
||
column numbers with 0.</p>
|
||
<p>IDLE assumes that files with a known .py* extension contain Python code
|
||
and that other files do not. Run Python code with the Run menu.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="key-bindings">
|
||
<h3>Key bindings<a class="headerlink" href="#key-bindings" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>In this section, ‘C’ refers to the <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Control</kbd> key on Windows and Unix and
|
||
the <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Command</kbd> key on macOS.</p>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Backspace</kbd> deletes to the left; <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Del</kbd> deletes to the right</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Backspace</kbd></kbd> delete word left; <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Del</kbd></kbd> delete word to the right</p></li>
|
||
<li><p>Arrow keys and <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Page</kbd> <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Up</kbd></kbd>/<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Page</kbd> <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Down</kbd></kbd> to move around</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">LeftArrow</kbd></kbd> and <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">RightArrow</kbd></kbd> moves by words</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Home</kbd>/<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">End</kbd> go to begin/end of line</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Home</kbd></kbd>/<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">End</kbd></kbd> go to begin/end of file</p></li>
|
||
<li><p>Some useful Emacs bindings are inherited from Tcl/Tk:</p>
|
||
<blockquote>
|
||
<div><ul class="simple">
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">a</kbd></kbd> beginning of line</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">e</kbd></kbd> end of line</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">k</kbd></kbd> kill line (but doesn’t put it in clipboard)</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">l</kbd></kbd> center window around the insertion point</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">b</kbd></kbd> go backward one character without deleting (usually you can
|
||
also use the cursor key for this)</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">f</kbd></kbd> go forward one character without deleting (usually you can
|
||
also use the cursor key for this)</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">p</kbd></kbd> go up one line (usually you can also use the cursor key for
|
||
this)</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">d</kbd></kbd> delete next character</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
</div></blockquote>
|
||
</li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<p>Standard keybindings (like <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">c</kbd></kbd> to copy and <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">v</kbd></kbd> to paste)
|
||
may work. Keybindings are selected in the Configure IDLE dialog.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="automatic-indentation">
|
||
<h3>Automatic indentation<a class="headerlink" href="#automatic-indentation" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>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 class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Backspace</kbd> deletes up
|
||
to 4 spaces if they are there. <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Tab</kbd> inserts spaces (in the Python
|
||
Shell window one tab), number depends on Indent width. Currently, tabs
|
||
are restricted to four spaces due to Tcl/Tk limitations.</p>
|
||
<p>See also the indent/dedent region commands on the
|
||
<a class="reference internal" href="#format-menu"><span class="std std-ref">Format menu</span></a>.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="completions">
|
||
<span id="id3"></span><h3>Completions<a class="headerlink" href="#completions" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>Completions are supplied, when requested and available, for module
|
||
names, attributes of classes or functions, or filenames. Each request
|
||
method displays a completion box with existing names. (See tab
|
||
completions below for an exception.) For any box, change the name
|
||
being completed and the item highlighted in the box by
|
||
typing and deleting characters; by hitting <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Up</kbd>, <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Down</kbd>,
|
||
<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">PageUp</kbd>, <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">PageDown</kbd>, <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Home</kbd>, and <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">End</kbd> keys;
|
||
and by a single click within the box. Close the box with <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Escape</kbd>,
|
||
<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Enter</kbd>, and double <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Tab</kbd> keys or clicks outside the box.
|
||
A double click within the box selects and closes.</p>
|
||
<p>One way to open a box is to type a key character and wait for a
|
||
predefined interval. This defaults to 2 seconds; customize it
|
||
in the settings dialog. (To prevent auto popups, set the delay to a
|
||
large number of milliseconds, such as 100000000.) For imported module
|
||
names or class or function attributes, type ‘.’.
|
||
For filenames in the root directory, type <a class="reference internal" href="os.html#os.sep" title="os.sep"><code class="xref py py-data docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">os.sep</span></code></a> or
|
||
<a class="reference internal" href="os.html#os.altsep" title="os.altsep"><code class="xref py py-data docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">os.altsep</span></code></a> immediately after an opening quote. (On Windows,
|
||
one can specify a drive first.) Move into subdirectories by typing a
|
||
directory name and a separator.</p>
|
||
<p>Instead of waiting, or after a box is closed, open a completion box
|
||
immediately with Show Completions on the Edit menu. The default hot
|
||
key is <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">space</kbd></kbd>. If one types a prefix for the desired name
|
||
before opening the box, the first match or near miss is made visible.
|
||
The result is the same as if one enters a prefix
|
||
after the box is displayed. Show Completions after a quote completes
|
||
filenames in the current directory instead of a root directory.</p>
|
||
<p>Hitting <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Tab</kbd> after a prefix usually has the same effect as Show
|
||
Completions. (With no prefix, it indents.) However, if there is only
|
||
one match to the prefix, that match is immediately added to the editor
|
||
text without opening a box.</p>
|
||
<p>Invoking ‘Show Completions’, or hitting <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Tab</kbd> after a prefix,
|
||
outside of a string and without a preceding ‘.’ opens a box with
|
||
keywords, builtin names, and available module-level names.</p>
|
||
<p>When editing code in an editor (as oppose to Shell), increase the
|
||
available module-level names by running your code
|
||
and not restarting the Shell thereafter. This is especially useful
|
||
after adding imports at the top of a file. This also increases
|
||
possible attribute completions.</p>
|
||
<p>Completion boxes intially exclude names beginning with ‘_’ or, for
|
||
modules, not included in ‘__all__’. The hidden names can be accessed
|
||
by typing ‘_’ after ‘.’, either before or after the box is opened.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="calltips">
|
||
<span id="id4"></span><h3>Calltips<a class="headerlink" href="#calltips" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>A calltip is shown automatically when one types <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">(</kbd> after the name
|
||
of an <em>accessible</em> function. A function name expression may include
|
||
dots and subscripts. A calltip remains until it is clicked, the cursor
|
||
is moved out of the argument area, or <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">)</kbd> is typed. Whenever the
|
||
cursor is in the argument part of a definition, select Edit and “Show
|
||
Call Tip” on the menu or enter its shortcut to display a calltip.</p>
|
||
<p>The calltip consists of the function’s signature and docstring up to
|
||
the latter’s first blank line or the fifth non-blank line. (Some builtin
|
||
functions lack an accessible signature.) A ‘/’ or ‘*’ in the signature
|
||
indicates that the preceding or following arguments are passed by
|
||
position or name (keyword) only. Details are subject to change.</p>
|
||
<p>In Shell, the accessible functions depends on what modules have been
|
||
imported into the user process, including those imported by Idle itself,
|
||
and which definitions have been run, all since the last restart.</p>
|
||
<p>For example, restart the Shell and enter <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">itertools.count(</span></code>. A calltip
|
||
appears because Idle imports itertools into the user process for its own
|
||
use. (This could change.) Enter <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">turtle.write(</span></code> and nothing appears.
|
||
Idle does not itself import turtle. The menu entry and shortcut also do
|
||
nothing. Enter <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">import</span> <span class="pre">turtle</span></code>. Thereafter, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">turtle.write(</span></code>
|
||
will display a calltip.</p>
|
||
<p>In an editor, import statements have no effect until one runs the file.
|
||
One might want to run a file after writing import statements, after
|
||
adding function definitions, or after opening an existing file.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="code-context">
|
||
<span id="id5"></span><h3>Code Context<a class="headerlink" href="#code-context" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>Within an editor window containing Python code, code context can be toggled
|
||
in order to show or hide a pane at the top of the window. When shown, this
|
||
pane freezes the opening lines for block code, such as those beginning with
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">class</span></code>, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">def</span></code>, or <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">if</span></code> keywords, that would have otherwise scrolled
|
||
out of view. The size of the pane will be expanded and contracted as needed
|
||
to show the all current levels of context, up to the maximum number of
|
||
lines defined in the Configure IDLE dialog (which defaults to 15). If there
|
||
are no current context lines and the feature is toggled on, a single blank
|
||
line will display. Clicking on a line in the context pane will move that
|
||
line to the top of the editor.</p>
|
||
<p>The text and background colors for the context pane can be configured under
|
||
the Highlights tab in the Configure IDLE dialog.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="python-shell-window">
|
||
<h3>Python Shell window<a class="headerlink" href="#python-shell-window" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>With IDLE’s Shell, one enters, edits, and recalls complete statements.
|
||
Most consoles and terminals only work with a single physical line at a time.</p>
|
||
<p>When one pastes code into Shell, it is not compiled and possibly executed
|
||
until one hits <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Return</kbd>. One may edit pasted code first.
|
||
If one pastes more that one statement into Shell, the result will be a
|
||
<a class="reference internal" href="exceptions.html#SyntaxError" title="SyntaxError"><code class="xref py py-exc docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">SyntaxError</span></code></a> when multiple statements are compiled as if they were one.</p>
|
||
<p>The editing features described in previous subsections work when entering
|
||
code interactively. IDLE’s Shell window also responds to the following keys.</p>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">c</kbd></kbd> interrupts executing command</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">d</kbd></kbd> sends end-of-file; closes window if typed at a <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">>>></span></code> prompt</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Alt</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">/</kbd></kbd> (Expand word) is also useful to reduce typing</p>
|
||
<p>Command history</p>
|
||
<ul class="simple">
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Alt</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">p</kbd></kbd> retrieves previous command matching what you have typed. On
|
||
macOS use <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">p</kbd></kbd>.</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Alt</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">n</kbd></kbd> retrieves next. On macOS use <kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate"><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">C</kbd>-<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">n</kbd></kbd>.</p></li>
|
||
<li><p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Return</kbd> while on any previous command retrieves that command</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
</li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="text-colors">
|
||
<h3>Text colors<a class="headerlink" href="#text-colors" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>Idle defaults to black on white text, but colors text with special meanings.
|
||
For the shell, these are shell output, shell error, user output, and
|
||
user error. For Python code, at the shell prompt or in an editor, these are
|
||
keywords, builtin class and function names, names following <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">class</span></code> and
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">def</span></code>, strings, and comments. For any text window, these are the cursor (when
|
||
present), found text (when possible), and selected text.</p>
|
||
<p>Text coloring is done in the background, so uncolorized text is occasionally
|
||
visible. To change the color scheme, use the Configure IDLE dialog
|
||
Highlighting tab. The marking of debugger breakpoint lines in the editor and
|
||
text in popups and dialogs is not user-configurable.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="startup-and-code-execution">
|
||
<h2>Startup and code execution<a class="headerlink" href="#startup-and-code-execution" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
|
||
<p>Upon startup with the <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">-s</span></code> option, IDLE will execute the file referenced by
|
||
the environment variables <span class="target" id="index-5"></span><code class="xref std std-envvar docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">IDLESTARTUP</span></code> or <span class="target" id="index-6"></span><a class="reference internal" href="../using/cmdline.html#envvar-PYTHONSTARTUP"><code class="xref std std-envvar docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">PYTHONSTARTUP</span></code></a>.
|
||
IDLE first checks for <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">IDLESTARTUP</span></code>; if <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">IDLESTARTUP</span></code> is present the file
|
||
referenced is run. If <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">IDLESTARTUP</span></code> is not present, IDLE checks for
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">PYTHONSTARTUP</span></code>. Files referenced by these environment variables are
|
||
convenient places to store functions that are used frequently from the IDLE
|
||
shell, or for executing import statements to import common modules.</p>
|
||
<p>In addition, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Tk</span></code> also loads a startup file if it is present. Note that the
|
||
Tk file is loaded unconditionally. This additional file is <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">.Idle.py</span></code> and is
|
||
looked for in the user’s home directory. Statements in this file will be
|
||
executed in the Tk namespace, so this file is not useful for importing
|
||
functions to be used from IDLE’s Python shell.</p>
|
||
<div class="section" id="command-line-usage">
|
||
<h3>Command line usage<a class="headerlink" href="#command-line-usage" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<div class="highlight-none notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span>idle.py [-c command] [-d] [-e] [-h] [-i] [-r file] [-s] [-t title] [-] [arg] ...
|
||
|
||
-c command run command in the shell window
|
||
-d enable debugger and open shell window
|
||
-e open editor window
|
||
-h print help message with legal combinations and exit
|
||
-i open shell window
|
||
-r file run file in shell window
|
||
-s run $IDLESTARTUP or $PYTHONSTARTUP first, in shell window
|
||
-t title set title of shell window
|
||
- run stdin in shell (- must be last option before args)
|
||
</pre></div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p>If there are arguments:</p>
|
||
<ul class="simple">
|
||
<li><p>If <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">-</span></code>, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">-c</span></code>, or <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">r</span></code> is used, all arguments are placed in
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.argv[1:...]</span></code> and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.argv[0]</span></code> is set to <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">''</span></code>, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">'-c'</span></code>,
|
||
or <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">'-r'</span></code>. No editor window is opened, even if that is the default
|
||
set in the Options dialog.</p></li>
|
||
<li><p>Otherwise, arguments are files opened for editing and
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.argv</span></code> reflects the arguments passed to IDLE itself.</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="startup-failure">
|
||
<h3>Startup failure<a class="headerlink" href="#startup-failure" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>IDLE uses a socket to communicate between the IDLE GUI process and the user
|
||
code execution process. A connection must be established whenever the Shell
|
||
starts or restarts. (The latter is indicated by a divider line that says
|
||
‘RESTART’). If the user process fails to connect to the GUI process, it
|
||
usually displays a <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Tk</span></code> error box with a ‘cannot connect’ message
|
||
that directs the user here. It then exits.</p>
|
||
<p>One specific connection failure on Unix systems results from
|
||
misconfigured masquerading rules somewhere in a system’s network setup.
|
||
When IDLE is started from a terminal, one will see a message starting
|
||
with <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">**</span> <span class="pre">Invalid</span> <span class="pre">host:</span></code>.
|
||
The valid value is <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">127.0.0.1</span> <span class="pre">(idlelib.rpc.LOCALHOST)</span></code>.
|
||
One can diagnose with <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">tcpconnect</span> <span class="pre">-irv</span> <span class="pre">127.0.0.1</span> <span class="pre">6543</span></code> in one
|
||
terminal window and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">tcplisten</span> <span class="pre"><same</span> <span class="pre">args></span></code> in another.</p>
|
||
<p>A common cause of failure is a user-written file with the same name as a
|
||
standard library module, such as <em>random.py</em> and <em>tkinter.py</em>. When such a
|
||
file is located in the same directory as a file that is about to be run,
|
||
IDLE cannot import the stdlib file. The current fix is to rename the
|
||
user file.</p>
|
||
<p>Though less common than in the past, an antivirus or firewall program may
|
||
stop the connection. If the program cannot be taught to allow the
|
||
connection, then it must be turned off for IDLE to work. It is safe to
|
||
allow this internal connection because no data is visible on external
|
||
ports. A similar problem is a network mis-configuration that blocks
|
||
connections.</p>
|
||
<p>Python installation issues occasionally stop IDLE: multiple versions can
|
||
clash, or a single installation might need admin access. If one undo the
|
||
clash, or cannot or does not want to run as admin, it might be easiest to
|
||
completely remove Python and start over.</p>
|
||
<p>A zombie pythonw.exe process could be a problem. On Windows, use Task
|
||
Manager to check for one and stop it if there is. Sometimes a restart
|
||
initiated by a program crash or Keyboard Interrupt (control-C) may fail
|
||
to connect. Dismissing the error box or using Restart Shell on the Shell
|
||
menu may fix a temporary problem.</p>
|
||
<p>When IDLE first starts, it attempts to read user configuration files in
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">~/.idlerc/</span></code> (~ is one’s home directory). If there is a problem, an error
|
||
message should be displayed. Leaving aside random disk glitches, this can
|
||
be prevented by never editing the files by hand. Instead, use the
|
||
configuration dialog, under Options. Once there is an error in a user
|
||
configuration file, the best solution may be to delete it and start over
|
||
with the settings dialog.</p>
|
||
<p>If IDLE quits with no message, and it was not started from a console, try
|
||
starting it from a console or terminal (<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">python</span> <span class="pre">-m</span> <span class="pre">idlelib</span></code>) and see if
|
||
this results in an error message.</p>
|
||
<p>On Unix-based systems with tcl/tk older than <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">8.6.11</span></code> (see
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">About</span> <span class="pre">IDLE</span></code>) certain characters of certain fonts can cause
|
||
a tk failure with a message to the terminal. This can happen either
|
||
if one starts IDLE to edit a file with such a character or later
|
||
when entering such a character. If one cannot upgrade tcl/tk,
|
||
then re-configure IDLE to use a font that works better.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="running-user-code">
|
||
<h3>Running user code<a class="headerlink" href="#running-user-code" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>With rare exceptions, the result of executing Python code with IDLE is
|
||
intended to be the same as executing the same code by the default method,
|
||
directly with Python in a text-mode system console or terminal window.
|
||
However, the different interface and operation occasionally affect
|
||
visible results. For instance, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.modules</span></code> starts with more entries,
|
||
and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">threading.active_count()</span></code> returns 2 instead of 1.</p>
|
||
<p>By default, IDLE runs user code in a separate OS process rather than in
|
||
the user interface process that runs the shell and editor. In the execution
|
||
process, it replaces <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.stdin</span></code>, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.stdout</span></code>, and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.stderr</span></code>
|
||
with objects that get input from and send output to the Shell window.
|
||
The original values stored in <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.__stdin__</span></code>, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.__stdout__</span></code>, and
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.__stderr__</span></code> are not touched, but may be <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">None</span></code>.</p>
|
||
<p>Sending print output from one process to a text widget in another is
|
||
slower than printing to a system terminal in the same process.
|
||
This has the most effect when printing multiple arguments, as the string
|
||
for each argument, each separator, the newline are sent separately.
|
||
For development, this is usually not a problem, but if one wants to
|
||
print faster in IDLE, format and join together everything one wants
|
||
displayed together and then print a single string. Both format strings
|
||
and <a class="reference internal" href="stdtypes.html#str.join" title="str.join"><code class="xref py py-meth docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">str.join()</span></code></a> can help combine fields and lines.</p>
|
||
<p>IDLE’s standard stream replacements are not inherited by subprocesses
|
||
created in the execution process, whether directly by user code or by
|
||
modules such as multiprocessing. If such subprocess use <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">input</span></code> from
|
||
sys.stdin or <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">print</span></code> or <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">write</span></code> to sys.stdout or sys.stderr,
|
||
IDLE should be started in a command line window. The secondary subprocess
|
||
will then be attached to that window for input and output.</p>
|
||
<p>If <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys</span></code> is reset by user code, such as with <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">importlib.reload(sys)</span></code>,
|
||
IDLE’s changes are lost and input from the keyboard and output to the screen
|
||
will not work correctly.</p>
|
||
<p>When Shell has the focus, it controls the keyboard and screen. This is
|
||
normally transparent, but functions that directly access the keyboard
|
||
and screen will not work. These include system-specific functions that
|
||
determine whether a key has been pressed and if so, which.</p>
|
||
<p>The IDLE code running in the execution process adds frames to the call stack
|
||
that would not be there otherwise. IDLE wraps <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.getrecursionlimit</span></code> and
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.setrecursionlimit</span></code> to reduce the effect of the additional stack
|
||
frames.</p>
|
||
<p>When user code raises SystemExit either directly or by calling sys.exit,
|
||
IDLE returns to a Shell prompt instead of exiting.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="user-output-in-shell">
|
||
<h3>User output in Shell<a class="headerlink" href="#user-output-in-shell" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>When a program outputs text, the result is determined by the
|
||
corresponding output device. When IDLE executes user code, <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.stdout</span></code>
|
||
and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">sys.stderr</span></code> are connected to the display area of IDLE’s Shell. Some of
|
||
its features are inherited from the underlying Tk Text widget. Others
|
||
are programmed additions. Where it matters, Shell is designed for development
|
||
rather than production runs.</p>
|
||
<p>For instance, Shell never throws away output. A program that sends unlimited
|
||
output to Shell will eventually fill memory, resulting in a memory error.
|
||
In contrast, some system text windows only keep the last n lines of output.
|
||
A Windows console, for instance, keeps a user-settable 1 to 9999 lines,
|
||
with 300 the default.</p>
|
||
<p>A Tk Text widget, and hence IDLE’s Shell, displays characters (codepoints) in
|
||
the BMP (Basic Multilingual Plane) subset of Unicode. Which characters are
|
||
displayed with a proper glyph and which with a replacement box depends on the
|
||
operating system and installed fonts. Tab characters cause the following text
|
||
to begin after the next tab stop. (They occur every 8 ‘characters’). Newline
|
||
characters cause following text to appear on a new line. Other control
|
||
characters are ignored or displayed as a space, box, or something else,
|
||
depending on the operating system and font. (Moving the text cursor through
|
||
such output with arrow keys may exhibit some surprising spacing behavior.)</p>
|
||
<div class="highlight-python3 notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="n">s</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="s1">'a</span><span class="se">\t</span><span class="s1">b</span><span class="se">\a</span><span class="s1"><</span><span class="se">\x02</span><span class="s1">><</span><span class="se">\r</span><span class="s1">></span><span class="se">\b</span><span class="s1">c</span><span class="se">\n</span><span class="s1">d'</span> <span class="c1"># Enter 22 chars.</span>
|
||
<span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="nb">len</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">s</span><span class="p">)</span>
|
||
<span class="go">14</span>
|
||
<span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="n">s</span> <span class="c1"># Display repr(s)</span>
|
||
<span class="go">'a\tb\x07<\x02><\r>\x08c\nd'</span>
|
||
<span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="nb">print</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">s</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">end</span><span class="o">=</span><span class="s1">''</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="c1"># Display s as is.</span>
|
||
<span class="go"># Result varies by OS and font. Try it.</span>
|
||
</pre></div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p>The <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">repr</span></code> function is used for interactive echo of expression
|
||
values. It returns an altered version of the input string in which
|
||
control codes, some BMP codepoints, and all non-BMP codepoints are
|
||
replaced with escape codes. As demonstrated above, it allows one to
|
||
identify the characters in a string, regardless of how they are displayed.</p>
|
||
<p>Normal and error output are generally kept separate (on separate lines)
|
||
from code input and each other. They each get different highlight colors.</p>
|
||
<p>For SyntaxError tracebacks, the normal ‘^’ marking where the error was
|
||
detected is replaced by coloring the text with an error highlight.
|
||
When code run from a file causes other exceptions, one may right click
|
||
on a traceback line to jump to the corresponding line in an IDLE editor.
|
||
The file will be opened if necessary.</p>
|
||
<p>Shell has a special facility for squeezing output lines down to a
|
||
‘Squeezed text’ label. This is done automatically
|
||
for output over N lines (N = 50 by default).
|
||
N can be changed in the PyShell section of the General
|
||
page of the Settings dialog. Output with fewer lines can be squeezed by
|
||
right clicking on the output. This can be useful lines long enough to slow
|
||
down scrolling.</p>
|
||
<p>Squeezed output is expanded in place by double-clicking the label.
|
||
It can also be sent to the clipboard or a separate view window by
|
||
right-clicking the label.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="developing-tkinter-applications">
|
||
<h3>Developing tkinter applications<a class="headerlink" href="#developing-tkinter-applications" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>IDLE is intentionally different from standard Python in order to
|
||
facilitate development of tkinter programs. Enter <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">import</span> <span class="pre">tkinter</span> <span class="pre">as</span> <span class="pre">tk;</span>
|
||
<span class="pre">root</span> <span class="pre">=</span> <span class="pre">tk.Tk()</span></code> in standard Python and nothing appears. Enter the same
|
||
in IDLE and a tk window appears. In standard Python, one must also enter
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">root.update()</span></code> to see the window. IDLE does the equivalent in the
|
||
background, about 20 times a second, which is about every 50 milliseconds.
|
||
Next enter <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">b</span> <span class="pre">=</span> <span class="pre">tk.Button(root,</span> <span class="pre">text='button');</span> <span class="pre">b.pack()</span></code>. Again,
|
||
nothing visibly changes in standard Python until one enters <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">root.update()</span></code>.</p>
|
||
<p>Most tkinter programs run <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">root.mainloop()</span></code>, which usually does not
|
||
return until the tk app is destroyed. If the program is run with
|
||
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">python</span> <span class="pre">-i</span></code> or from an IDLE editor, a <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">>>></span></code> shell prompt does not
|
||
appear until <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">mainloop()</span></code> returns, at which time there is nothing left
|
||
to interact with.</p>
|
||
<p>When running a tkinter program from an IDLE editor, one can comment out
|
||
the mainloop call. One then gets a shell prompt immediately and can
|
||
interact with the live application. One just has to remember to
|
||
re-enable the mainloop call when running in standard Python.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="running-without-a-subprocess">
|
||
<h3>Running without a subprocess<a class="headerlink" href="#running-without-a-subprocess" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>By default, IDLE executes user code in a separate subprocess via a socket,
|
||
which uses the internal loopback interface. This connection is not
|
||
externally visible and no data is sent to or received from the Internet.
|
||
If firewall software complains anyway, you can ignore it.</p>
|
||
<p>If the attempt to make the socket connection fails, Idle will notify you.
|
||
Such failures are sometimes transient, but if persistent, the problem
|
||
may be either a firewall blocking the connection or misconfiguration of
|
||
a particular system. Until the problem is fixed, one can run Idle with
|
||
the -n command line switch.</p>
|
||
<p>If IDLE is started with the -n command line switch it will run in a
|
||
single process and will not create the subprocess which runs the RPC
|
||
Python execution server. This can be useful if Python cannot create
|
||
the subprocess or the RPC socket interface on your platform. However,
|
||
in this mode user code is not isolated from IDLE itself. Also, the
|
||
environment is not restarted when Run/Run Module (F5) is selected. If
|
||
your code has been modified, you must reload() the affected modules and
|
||
re-import any specific items (e.g. from foo import baz) if the changes
|
||
are to take effect. For these reasons, it is preferable to run IDLE
|
||
with the default subprocess if at all possible.</p>
|
||
<div class="deprecated">
|
||
<p><span class="versionmodified deprecated">Deprecated since version 3.4.</span></p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="help-and-preferences">
|
||
<h2>Help and preferences<a class="headerlink" href="#help-and-preferences" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
|
||
<div class="section" id="help-sources">
|
||
<span id="id6"></span><h3>Help sources<a class="headerlink" href="#help-sources" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>Help menu entry “IDLE Help” displays a formatted html version of the
|
||
IDLE chapter of the Library Reference. The result, in a read-only
|
||
tkinter text window, is close to what one sees in a web browser.
|
||
Navigate through the text with a mousewheel,
|
||
the scrollbar, or up and down arrow keys held down.
|
||
Or click the TOC (Table of Contents) button and select a section
|
||
header in the opened box.</p>
|
||
<p>Help menu entry “Python Docs” opens the extensive sources of help,
|
||
including tutorials, available at <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">docs.python.org/x.y</span></code>, where ‘x.y’
|
||
is the currently running Python version. If your system
|
||
has an off-line copy of the docs (this may be an installation option),
|
||
that will be opened instead.</p>
|
||
<p>Selected URLs can be added or removed from the help menu at any time using the
|
||
General tab of the Configure IDLE dialog.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="setting-preferences">
|
||
<span id="preferences"></span><h3>Setting preferences<a class="headerlink" href="#setting-preferences" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>The font preferences, highlighting, keys, and general preferences can be
|
||
changed via Configure IDLE on the Option menu.
|
||
Non-default user settings are saved in a <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">.idlerc</span></code> directory in the user’s
|
||
home directory. Problems caused by bad user configuration files are solved
|
||
by editing or deleting one or more of the files in <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">.idlerc</span></code>.</p>
|
||
<p>On the Font tab, see the text sample for the effect of font face and size
|
||
on multiple characters in multiple languages. Edit the sample to add
|
||
other characters of personal interest. Use the sample to select
|
||
monospaced fonts. If particular characters have problems in Shell or an
|
||
editor, add them to the top of the sample and try changing first size
|
||
and then font.</p>
|
||
<p>On the Highlights and Keys tab, select a built-in or custom color theme
|
||
and key set. To use a newer built-in color theme or key set with older
|
||
IDLEs, save it as a new custom theme or key set and it well be accessible
|
||
to older IDLEs.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="idle-on-macos">
|
||
<h3>IDLE on macOS<a class="headerlink" href="#idle-on-macos" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>Under System Preferences: Dock, one can set “Prefer tabs when opening
|
||
documents” to “Always”. This setting is not compatible with the tk/tkinter
|
||
GUI framework used by IDLE, and it breaks a few IDLE features.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="section" id="extensions">
|
||
<h3>Extensions<a class="headerlink" href="#extensions" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3>
|
||
<p>IDLE contains an extension facility. Preferences for extensions can be
|
||
changed with the Extensions tab of the preferences dialog. See the
|
||
beginning of config-extensions.def in the idlelib directory for further
|
||
information. The only current default extension is zzdummy, an example
|
||
also used for testing.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
|
||
<div class="clearer"></div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<div class="sphinxsidebar" role="navigation" aria-label="main navigation">
|
||
<div class="sphinxsidebarwrapper">
|
||
<h3><a href="../contents.html">Table of Contents</a></h3>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#">IDLE</a><ul>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#menus">Menus</a><ul>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#file-menu-shell-and-editor">File menu (Shell and Editor)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#edit-menu-shell-and-editor">Edit menu (Shell and Editor)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#format-menu-editor-window-only">Format menu (Editor window only)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#run-menu-editor-window-only">Run menu (Editor window only)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#shell-menu-shell-window-only">Shell menu (Shell window only)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#debug-menu-shell-window-only">Debug menu (Shell window only)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#options-menu-shell-and-editor">Options menu (Shell and Editor)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#window-menu-shell-and-editor">Window menu (Shell and Editor)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#help-menu-shell-and-editor">Help menu (Shell and Editor)</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#context-menus">Context Menus</a></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
</li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#editing-and-navigation">Editing and navigation</a><ul>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#editor-windows">Editor windows</a></li>
|
||
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#key-bindings">Key bindings</a></li>
|
||
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