Looking for the Perfect Editor

[David J. Braden]

Wildemar Wildenburger wrote:
>> Hi Stu und "Willie",
>>
<<snip>>
> 
>> I don't yet know what jython is about, or for, but I'm up for trying
>  > jedit for python.
> jython is an implementation of python in java (hence the name ;)). That 
> means it's a python interpreter inside a java virtual machine (groan). 
> It basically lets you write java apps in python syntax. It's currently 
> at python 2.1 I believe.
> jEdit is extensible though java, and with the jython plugin also through 
> python.

Thanks. That helps me get a sense of the landscape.
> 
>> Which plugins give me a good start for scientific stuff?
> Er ... I don't know. What do you mean by 'scientific stuff'?

I've come to sense, in the last (many) threads and topics brought up 
that I have read in the last 3 weeks, that this NG attracts folks who 
are very much into the web-app interface potential and usefulness of 
Python, as you yourself seem to be (see following), and others, such as 
I, who appreciate its power for technical apps, such as hard-core stats, 
optimization, and integration with even more sophisticated off-the-shelf 
apps, as well as home-brewed stuff, hopefully even original algorithms. 
  I have seen, several times in this NG, references to "scientific 
stuff". I take it to mean apps meant for, or used by, folks in 
engineering, physics, applied mathematics, exploratory theoretical stats 
and practical applied stats (at a very high level) --- these users have 
PhDs in areas dealing with "scientific stuff". What's *your* view take 
on this?

> You might want to look at python packages such as scipy (?) or numpy 
> (for numerical calculations) or whatever those are called.

"Whatever those ..." ?!? Maybe this clarifies my response.

  I think you
> can hook up python to Matlab, Scilab or Mathematica, but don't take my 
> word for it. I don't use any of this, so I cannot really tell you more.
> None of this is jEdit specific though. Can you clarify?

Thanks. I hope to very soon. Potential interactions with other APIs are 
keeping me up nights. I could use your help on one of these in the near 
future.
> 
>> I am not interested in Web/html apps.
> Too bad, that's the future ;).

For whom?!? When? Been to a so-called 3rd-world country for an extended 
period yet? Think Angola, Chad, ...
> 
>> And is there an IDE out there that lets us create GUI dialogs along 
>> the lines of what MS provides with Excel and, I assume, VB?
> Stani's Python Editor (SPE) and Boa Constructor, I think. I've tried SPE 
> a few years back and liked it a lot.

Great! I'll give it a try.

> If you only ever write python code you might want to forget about jEdit 
> and use one of the two above. jEdit is dubbed 'Programmer's Text 
> Editor', and as such provides a 'unified' framework for many languages 
> (so you don't have to learn a new editor for every damn language you 
> write in once in a blue moon). It is for that reason a /tad/ less 
> specialized (though highly configurable). If you still want to use 
> jEdit, there is wxGlade for wxPython out there and Glade (not wxGlade!) 
> works for pyGTK, I believe.
> Hope that helps you deciding.

Very much so, and many thanks. My only languages are C and VBA, and the 
environments of R and Mathematica (hey, I'm ancient).

> "Willie" ;)

lol

DaveB