New to python, do I need an IDE or is vim still good enough?

[Chris Angelico]

On Sun, Dec 30, 2012 at 8:52 AM, Roy Smith <roy at panix.com> wrote:
> In article <mailman.1446.1356816523.29569.python-list at python.org>,
>  Chris Angelico <rosuav at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It's extremely handy; not only errors from
>> compilation/execution, but things like a 'git grep -n' fit too.
>
> Emacs has integrations with many version control systems.  Over the
> years, I've gone back and forth over whether I do my version control
> from within emacs or at the command line.

My point was that it fits _many_ tools, without specific integration
with the tool. But yes, version control integration is a useful tool
(though not one I've personally made use of - I just run git commands
from the command line).

> Again, I would imagine any decent editor these days would have something
> similar.  It just blows my mind when I see people editing program text
> with NotePad or some similar piece of crap.

Yes. And then hopping over to Stack Overflow and trying to figure out
why their PHP script won't create HTTP headers. Combination of poor
language and poor editor...

> Oh, yeah, one other thing I forgot.  You want to use an editor which can
> (preferably as something you can turn on and off easily) put line
> numbers down the left margin of the screen.  For solo editing, it's kind
> of silly.  But if you're doing any kind of pair programming, code
> review, or presentation to a group, it's invaluable.  Compare and
> contrast:
>
> "In the big for loop, a couple of lines down, no, not there, the other
> for loop, yeah, now go down a couple of lines, no that's too far, back
> up one.  Yeah there.  On that line, why do you ..."
>
> with:
>
> "On line 647, why do you ..."

Absolutely! Though it's roughly as good to have the current cursor
position shown in a status line somewhere, and takes up less real
estate. But yes, vital to be able to see that. Even when I'm sitting
*right next to* my boss and communicating verbally, I'll talk about
the code by quoting line numbers. "Let me explain. (No, there is too
much. Let me sum up.) Pull up foobar dot jay ess and go to line
254-ish - see how the frobnosticator always gets called with a quuxed
argument?"

ChrisA