[Pythonmac-SIG] IDLE and MacPython 2.5

[Jacob Rus]

Christopher Barker wrote:
> While we're at it, if all you want is a Python-aware editor -- then 
> there area a lot of other (better?) options. Scan the archives of this 
> list for suggestions. A few:
> 
> BBEdit (TextWrangler?)
> Eclipse
> SPE
> Jedit
> ScrIDE
> 
> Assorted *nix editors: emaca, VIm, etc, etc.

I'm surprised that TextMate didn't make this list.  It's a relatively
new editor, but quite amazing (it won the 2006 Apple Design Award for
best developer tool).  Admittedly, the python bundle is not as polished
as those for some other languages (html and ruby for instance), but it
is still head and shoulders above all the other editors listed above, in
my opinion.  some more people from this list ought to give it a shot
(the python bundle really needs some more competent contributors to live
up to its potential, and the mac python community could really use a
better editor ;).

> Why does everyone seem to want to push people away from IDLE?
> IDLE isn't award-winning material, but it does work properly
> as a simple python environment.
> 
> In a way it is better than most programmers text editors because
> although it is missing some of the advanced editor features these
> offer it does come with an embedded python interpreter and debugger.

These really can't make up for the lack of good *editing* features.  The
ability to run python scripts from an editor is all I really *need* from
it, as for anything more intensive I can drop into IPython or similar.
I think that pushing people away from IDLE is quite natural, as most
users will be happier and more productive in another environment,
especially since some of these, like TextWrangler, are free.

-Jacob