Python Tools
An overview of some of the handy tools used when developing in the Python programming language. IDE’s, analysis, and more!
Python for Android: The Scripting Layer (SL4A)
The Scripting Layer for Android, SL4A, is an open source application that allows programs written in a range of interpreted languages to run on Android. It also provides a high level API that allows these programs to interact with the Android device, making it easy to do stuff like accessing sensor data, sending an SMS, […]
Read MoreReview of IPython (Alternative Python Shell)
For an introduction to IPython, be sure to checkout the article Introduction to IPython: An Enhanced Python Interpreter. One of the nice things about working in an interpreted language like Python is exploratory programming using the interactive Python shell. It lets you try things out quickly and easily without writing a script and then executing […]
Read MoreReview of bpython and DreamPie (Alternative Python Shells)
bpython Alternative Shell Review bpython is a lighter solution than IPython, which we discussed last time; where IPython expands the capabilities of Python itself, and offers interactive features as a sideline, bpython expands the interactive features of Python’s shell — and that’s about it. Within the bounds of its intended purpose, however, it is quite […]
Read MoreText Editors vs IDEs for Python development: Selecting the Right Tool
The language in which you program and its interpreters or compilers are only some of the tools you use to develop software. Another important matter is your programming environment. Unlike some languages, where your choices are limited, such as Delphi or the .NET languages, where there are one or two obviously superior options, Python has […]
Read MoreBest Text Editors for Python development
Python is such a popular language that most “programmers’ text editors” have at least rudimentary support, including syntax highlighting. But there are several editors that have especially good support. I’ve tested the following editors, presented in alphabetical order, as most are fine choices: Emacs Geany Komodo Edit Notepad++
Read MoreComparison of Python IDEs for Development
Until recently, I hadn’t looked into Python IDEs for several years; I’m not generally an IDE person — I usually use Emacs. When I last checked them out, Python IDEs were a dismal lot; it’s not easy to write tools for a dynamic language, because they have to analyze the code, and a lot of […]
Read MoreInstall PySide and PyQt on Windows, Mac and Linux
In the last article, I introduced you to Qt and its Python interfaces, PyQt and PySide; now that you know a bit about them, pick one and install it. I recommend PySide for two reasons: first, this tutorial is conceived in terms of PySide, and may cover a few topics that are less fully-implemented in […]
Read MoreAn Overview of Sublime Text 2 with Python
One of the key tools of each developer is a good integrated developer environment (IDE). Python is a beautiful language with great support from a budding community of developers, who continue to create amazing libraries and extensions. Those are two reasons there are numerous IDEs for Python. They range from commercial ones, like Komodo and PyCharm, […]
Read MoreIPython Introduction: An Enhanced Python Interpreter
Simply put, IPython lets you do all sorts of really powerful stuff. It’s very popular amongst scientists and mathematicians, and has a lot of features that they seem to really appreciate. It also has a lot of features that are really useful to everyone else who uses Python. IPython offers lots of simple hooks for […]
Read MoreThe Best Python IDEs You Can Use for Development
An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is one of the best tools a programmer can wield. It allows developers to work efficiently and forget about the boilerplate. While some programmers scoff at the idea of using anything more than a text editor, when you are working on a very big project consisting of many files, an […]
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