Learning Python on jEdit

[Ray]

David,

Thanks for all the details, I have a few questions.

You mentioned that jEdit is not Python specific and that others may be
more appropriate for learning.  Later, you addressed how to get jEdit
to recognize Python.  Are you saying that even with the Python
plug-ins and options, the Python only IDEs would be better for
learning?

I looked at PyShell and Pythonwin.  The documentation says that
Pythonwin was designed for MFC.  I found no mention to MFC.  What's up
with MFC and how relevent is it?

Ray

woodsplitter at rocketmail.com (David Rushby) wrote in message news:<7876a8ea.0402240005.6e3313eb at posting.google.com>...
> rtjoseph at ev1.net (Ray) wrote in message news:<d422a60.0402231132.19acdc74 at posting.google.com>...
> > I want to jump in a learn Python.  I have spent about a day looking at
> > editors and IDEs and (probably prematurely) selected jEdit to work in.
> > I have downloaded Python and jEdit.
> 
> Even though I love jEdit, its Python-awareness isn't as good as that
> of a Python-specific IDE.  Since you're in the process of learning
> Python, I recommend that you use as your interactive console an editor
> that has Python object member pop-ups and parameter tips (e.g.,
> Pythonwin, or OrbTech's PyShell (which comes with wxPython)).  I use
> PyShell as my interactive console and jEdit as my main editor.
> 
> I edit Python and C/C++ source code for many hours a day with jEdit,
> and have been doing so since 1999, so obviously I regard jEdit as a
> suitable editor for Python source.  IMO, jEdit's most compelling
> (though not unique) features are code folding, HyperSearch, multiple
> views/split views, and markers.  My workstation has multiple monitors,
> and I can spread several semi-autonomous 'views' from a single
> instance of jEdit across them to simultaneously view several pieces of
> code at once.  Markers (with appropriate Back/Set/Forward keyboard
> shortcuts) allow me to hop around huge source files without touching
> the mouse.
> 
> > I have been going over jEdit for a while and can't real see how to get it 
> > to know that I am using Python.
> 
> In the Utilities->Global Options->Editing dialog (of jEdit 4.1), you
> can change Python-specific settings by selecting 'Python' from the
> 'Change settings for mode' drop-down.  I have mine set to 'Tab width':
> 4, 'Indent width': 4, 'Soft (emulated with spaces) tabs': yes.  Save
> yourself some hassle and don't mix tabs and spaces in your Python
> source code.  jEdit can paper over the difference between soft and
> hard tabs, so there are no extra keypresses required.
> 
> This dialog also allows you to specify which filename extensions are
> to be considered Python source files, or which textual pattern on the
> first line of a source file indicates same (e.g., '#/usr/bin/env
> python').
> 
> If you use jEdit for virtually nothing other than editing Python
> source, you can set Python mode as the default via the 'Default Edit
> Mode' option in that same Utilities->Global Options->Editing dialog.
> 
> > So there is more there than I expected.  Any suggestions on how to
> > configure (plugg-ins?) for jEdit and learn Python?
> 
> jEdit's indentation-based code folding works very well with Python out
> of the box.
> 
> Since Python has syntactically significant whitespace, jEdit's
> Whitespace plugin is a real help.  In particular, turn on
> Utilities->Global Options->Plugins->Whitespace->Fold guides->Show fold
> guides by default.  I have Whitespace set to display a faint grey
> vertical line along Python indentation planes.
> 
> jEdit also has a Jython plugin, which, among other capabilities,
> allows you to write jEdit macros in Python.  There's also a plugin
> called Py Utils, but I haven't used it.