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IDLE¶

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Source code: Lib/idlelib/

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IDLE — Python editor and shell¶

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Source code: Lib/idlelib/

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IDLE is Python’s Integrated Development and Learning Environment.

IDLE has the following features:

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  • coded in 100% pure Python, using the tkinter GUI toolkit

  • cross-platform: works mostly the same on Windows, Unix, and macOS

  • Python shell window (interactive interpreter) with colorizing of code input, output, and error messages

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    Navigation

    of global and local namespaces

  • configuration, browsers, and other dialogs

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Help menu (Shell and Editor)¶

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Help menu (Shell and Editor)¶

About IDLE

Display version, copyright, license, credits, and more.

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Help menu (Shell and Editor)Help sources subsection below for more on Help menu choices.

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Context Menus¶

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Context menus¶

Open a context menu by right-clicking in a window (Control-click on macOS). Context menus have the standard clipboard functions also on the Edit menu.

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Help menu (Shell and Editor) -

Editing and navigation¶

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Editor windows¶

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Editing and Navigation¶

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Editor windows¶

IDLE may open editor windows when it starts, depending on settings and how you start IDLE. Thereafter, use the File menu. There can be only one open editor window for a given file.

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Editor windows -

Key bindings¶

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In this section, ‘C’ refers to the Control key on Windows and Unix and -the Command key on macOS.

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  • Backspace deletes to the left; Del deletes to the right

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  • C-Backspace delete word left; C-Del delete word to the right

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  • Arrow keys and Page Up/Page Down to move around

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  • C-LeftArrow and C-RightArrow moves by words

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  • Home/End go to begin/end of line

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  • C-Home/C-End go to begin/end of file

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  • Some useful Emacs bindings are inherited from Tcl/Tk:

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    • C-a beginning of line

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    • C-e end of line

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    • C-k kill line (but doesn’t put it in clipboard)

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    • C-l center window around the insertion point

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    • C-b go backward one character without deleting (usually you can -also use the cursor key for this)

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    • C-f go forward one character without deleting (usually you can -also use the cursor key for this)

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    • C-p go up one line (usually you can also use the cursor key for -this)

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    • C-d delete next character

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Key bindings¶

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The IDLE insertion cursor is a thin vertical bar between character +positions. When characters are entered, the insertion cursor and +everything to its right moves right one character and +the new character is entered in the new space.

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Several non-character keys move the cursor and possibly +delete characters. Deletion does not puts text on the clipboard, +but IDLE has an undo list. Wherever this doc discusses keys, +‘C’ refers to the Control key on Windows and +Unix and the Command key on macOS. (And all such discussions +assume that the keys have not been re-bound to something else.)

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  • Arrow keys move the cursor one character or line.

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  • C-LeftArrow and C-RightArrow moves left or right one word.

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  • Home and End go to the beginning or end of the line.

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  • Page Up and Page Down go up or down one screen.

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  • C-Home and C-End go to beginning or end of the file.

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  • Backspace and Del (or C-d) delete the previous +or next character.

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  • C-Backspace and C-Del delete one word left or right.

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  • C-k deletes (‘kills’) everything to the right.

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Standard keybindings (like C-c to copy and C-v to paste) +

Standard keybindings (like C-c to copy and C-v to paste) may work. Keybindings are selected in the Configure IDLE dialog.

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Automatic indentation¶

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Automatic indentation¶

After a block-opening statement, the next line is indented by 4 spaces (in the Python Shell window by one tab). After certain keywords (break, return etc.) the next line is dedented. In leading indentation, Backspace deletes up @@ -465,9 +359,16 @@

Automatic indentation

See also the indent/dedent region commands on the Format menu.

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Completions¶

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Search and Replace¶

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Any selection becomes a search target. However, only selections within +a line work because searches are only performed within lines with the +terminal newline removed. If [x] Regular expression is checked, the +target is interpreted according to the Python re module.

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Completions¶

Completions are supplied, when requested and available, for module names, attributes of classes or functions, or filenames. Each request method displays a completion box with existing names. (See tab @@ -489,7 +390,7 @@

Automatic indentation

Instead of waiting, or after a box is closed, open a completion box immediately with Show Completions on the Edit menu. The default hot -key is C-space. If one types a prefix for the desired name +key is C-space. If one types a prefix for the desired name before opening the box, the first match or near miss is made visible. The result is the same as if one enters a prefix after the box is displayed. Show Completions after a quote completes @@ -509,9 +410,9 @@

Automatic indentationCompletion boxes initially exclude names beginning with ‘_’ or, for modules, not included in ‘__all__’. The hidden names can be accessed by typing ‘_’ after ‘.’, either before or after the box is opened.

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Calltips¶

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Calltips¶

A calltip is shown automatically when one types ( after the name of an accessible function. A function name expression may include dots and subscripts. A calltip remains until it is clicked, the cursor @@ -535,9 +436,9 @@

Automatic indentationIn an editor, import statements have no effect until one runs the file. One might want to run a file after writing import statements, after adding function definitions, or after opening an existing file.

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Code Context¶

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Code Context¶

Within an editor window containing Python code, code context can be toggled in order to show or hide a pane at the top of the window. When shown, this pane freezes the opening lines for block code, such as those beginning with @@ -550,33 +451,39 @@

Automatic indentation

The text and background colors for the context pane can be configured under the Highlights tab in the Configure IDLE dialog.

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Python Shell window¶

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With IDLE’s Shell, one enters, edits, and recalls complete statements. -Most consoles and terminals only work with a single physical line at a time.

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Shell window¶

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In IDLE’s Shell, enter, edit, and recall complete statements. (Most +consoles and terminals only work with a single physical line at a time).

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Submit a single-line statement for execution by hitting Return +with the cursor anywhere on the line. If a line is extended with +Backslash (\), the cursor must be on the last physical line. +Submit a multi-line compound statement by entering a blank line after +the statement.

When one pastes code into Shell, it is not compiled and possibly executed -until one hits Return. One may edit pasted code first. -If one pastes more that one statement into Shell, the result will be a +until one hits Return, as specified above. +One may edit pasted code first. +If one pastes more than one statement into Shell, the result will be a SyntaxError when multiple statements are compiled as if they were one.

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Lines containing RESTART mean that the user execution process has been +re-started. This occurs when the user execution process has crashed, +when one requests a restart on the Shell menu, or when one runs code +in an editor window.

The editing features described in previous subsections work when entering -code interactively. IDLE’s Shell window also responds to the following keys.

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  • C-c interrupts executing command

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  • C-d sends end-of-file; closes window if typed at a >>> prompt

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  • Alt-/ (Expand word) is also useful to reduce typing

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    Command history

    +code interactively. IDLE’s Shell window also responds to the following:

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    • Alt-p retrieves previous command matching what you have typed. On -macOS use C-p.

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    • Alt-n retrieves next. On macOS use C-n.

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    • Return while on any previous command retrieves that command

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  • C-c attempts to interrupt statement execution (but may fail).

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  • C-d closes Shell if typed at a >>> prompt.

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  • Alt-p and Alt-n (C-p and C-n on macOS) +retrieve to the current prompt the previous or next previously +entered statement that matches anything already typed.

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  • Return while the cursor is on any previous statement +appends the latter to anything already typed at the prompt.

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Text colors¶

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Text colors¶

Idle defaults to black on white text, but colors text with special meanings. For the shell, these are shell output, shell error, user output, and user error. For Python code, at the shell prompt or in an editor, these are @@ -592,10 +499,10 @@

Text colors -

Startup and code execution¶

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Startup and Code Execution¶

Upon startup with the -s option, IDLE will execute the file referenced by the environment variables IDLESTARTUP or PYTHONSTARTUP. IDLE first checks for IDLESTARTUP; if IDLESTARTUP is present the file @@ -608,8 +515,8 @@

Startup and code execution -

Command line usage¶

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Command line usage¶

idle.py [-c command] [-d] [-e] [-h] [-i] [-r file] [-s] [-t title] [-] [arg] ...
 
 -c command  run command in the shell window
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Command line usagesys.argv reflects the arguments passed to IDLE itself.