Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed5.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <andrea.crotti.0@gmail.com>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.000
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'python,': 0.01; 'ide': 0.05; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'hettinger': 0.07; 'reason.': 0.07; 'tab': 0.07; 'python': 0.08; 'command-line': 0.09; 'etc).': 0.09; 'freezes': 0.09; 'idle,': 0.09; 'myself,': 0.09; 'configure': 0.10; 'am,': 0.12; 'broken': 0.12; 'python?': 0.15; 'startup': 0.15; 'downside,': 0.16; 'ideally,': 0.16; 'requisite': 0.16; 'tcl/tk': 0.16; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'cc:no real name:2**0': 0.20; "aren't": 0.21; 'linux,': 0.21; 'pointed': 0.21; 'raymond': 0.21; "doesn't": 0.22; 'header:In- Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'runs': 0.23; 'path,': 0.23; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'command': 0.24; 'specify': 0.24; 'code': 0.25; 'fix': 0.27; 'idle': 0.29; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.29; 'class': 0.29; 'commands,': 0.30; "i've": 0.31; 'source': 0.31; 'version': 0.32; 'familiar': 0.32; 'message-id:@gmail.com': 0.33; 'header:User- Agent:1': 0.33; 'actually': 0.33; 'there': 0.33; 'received:209.85.212': 0.34; 'directory.': 0.34; 'running': 0.35; 'something': 0.35; 'install': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.37; 'think': 0.37; 'not,': 0.37; 'received:10.0.0': 0.38; 'used,': 0.38; 'allows': 0.38; 'some': 0.38; 'received:209.85': 0.38; 'else': 0.39; 'tool': 0.39; "it's": 0.40; 'received:209': 0.40; 'more': 0.61; 'browser': 0.61; 'your': 0.61; 'direct': 0.67; 'ship': 0.78; '03:51': 0.84
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to:cc:subject :references:in-reply-to:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=q61WPChZclbgqYwN9VDGMG6saJmJTCbrkOw6cew9eIg=; b=sep6+USwtnblF8S64/HZyr1UEb/r7gWnNI4L6tthrSmHJfF5AjHREMCe2kDfNxTFdc EyvtIwrCTlHH18rcRxig4qefDctFmHIchnppvC8gn9LcqXfht2ASKsoYCoSLtFnC9nmr C5HqpDWQ4IKtSAkM+cA1cb3xNhVrV0CZOhbfo=
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:58:08 +0000
From: Andrea Crotti <andrea.crotti.0@gmail.com>
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:8.0) Gecko/20111108 Thunderbird/8.0
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Raymond Hettinger <raymond.hettinger@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Python education survey
References: <06423dd7-4fbb-4e7a-b529-e697ea862b05@f11g2000yql.googlegroups.com>
In-Reply-To: <06423dd7-4fbb-4e7a-b529-e697ea862b05@f11g2000yql.googlegroups.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Cc: python-list@python.org
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.3860.1324378694.27778.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 34
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1324378694 news.xs4all.nl 6947 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:35993
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:17571

On 12/20/2011 03:51 AM, Raymond Hettinger wrote:
> Do you use IDLE when teaching Python?
> If not, what is the tool of choice?
>
> Students may not be experienced with the command-line and may be
> running Windows, Linux, or Macs.  Ideally, the tool or IDE will be
> easy to install and configure (startup directory, path, associated
> with a particular version of Python etc).
>
> Though an Emacs user myself, I've been teaching with IDLE because it's
> free; it runs on multiple OSes, it has tooltips and code colorization
> and easy indent/dedent/comment/uncomment commands, it has tab
> completion; it allows easy editing at the interactive prompt; it has
> an easy run-script command (F5); it has direct access to source code
> (File OpenModule) and a class browser (Cntl+B).
>
> On the downside, some python distros aren't built with the requisite
> Tcl/Tk support; some distros like the Mac OS ship with a broken Tcl/Tk
> so users have to install a fix to that as well; and IDLE sometimes
> just freezes for no reason.  It also doesn't have an easy way to
> specify the startup directory.
>
> If your goal is to quickly get new users up and running in Python,
> what IDE or editor do you recommend?
>
>
> Raymond

I think ipython and a good editor gives a much nicer experience
than IDLE, which I actually almost never used, and
for everything else there is python and python-mode.

New users however can be pointed to something like PyCharm
or Eclipse+PyDev if they are more familiar to IDEs..