Python IDEs and Code Editors: The Complete Guide

Finding the Perfect Python Code Editor

Martin Breuss
Martin Breuss 36 Lessons 2h 28m basics tools
Start Now Rate and Review

Find your perfect Python development setup with this review of Python IDEs and code editors. Writing Python using IDLE or the Python REPL is great for simple things, but not ideal for larger programming projects. With this course you’ll get an overview of the most common Python coding environments to help you make an informed decision.

By the end of this course, you’ll know how to:

  • Choose the Python editing environment that’s right for you
  • Perform common tasks like creating, running, and debugging code
  • Dig deeper into optimizing your favorite editing setup

What’s Included:

Downloadable Resources:

Related Learning Paths:

Start Now

Introduction & Learning Goals

4 Lessons 10m

  1. 1. Introduction & Course Overview01:29
  2. 2. IDEs vs Code Editors02:28
  3. 3. What Makes a Good Python Editor?03:21
  4. 4. Different Types of Editors03:35

Classic Text Editor (Vim)

6 Lessons 21m

  1. 1. Overview & Use Cases - Vim05:02
  2. 2. Creating and Running a Code Snippet - Vim04:26
  3. 3. Debugging - Vim01:48
  4. 4. Easy Improvements: Syntax Highlighting & Line Numbers03:26
  5. 5. Useful Vim Commands04:02
  6. 6. How to Learn More Vim02:42

Beginner-Friendly Editor (Thonny)

5 Lessons 19m

  1. 1. Overview & Use Cases - Thonny03:55
  2. 2. Creating and Running a Code Snippet - Thonny04:40
  3. 3. Debugging - Thonny05:03
  4. 4. Other Useful Features - Thonny04:35
  5. 5. How to Learn More Thonny01:14

Online Coding Environment (repl.it)

5 Lessons 19m

  1. 1. Overview & Use Cases - Replit03:52
  2. 2. Creating and Running a Code Snippet - Replit03:29
  3. 3. Debugging - Replit03:15
  4. 4. Other Useful Features - Replit07:16
  5. 5. How to Learn More repl.it01:41

Lightweight IDE (Visual Studio Code)

5 Lessons 18m

  1. 1. Overview & Use Cases - VS Code03:31
  2. 2. Creating and Running a Code Snippet - VS Code04:04
  3. 3. Debugging - VSCode06:23
  4. 4. Other Useful Features - VS Code03:44
  5. 5. How to Learn More VS Code01:03

IDE (PyCharm)

5 Lessons 34m

  1. 1. Overview & Use Cases - PyCharm08:29
  2. 2. Creating and Running a Code Snippet - PyCharm06:03
  3. 3. Debugging - PyCharm05:56
  4. 4. Other Useful Features - PyCharm11:08
  5. 5. How to Learn More PyCharm02:26

Data Science Notebooks (Jupyter)

5 Lessons 22m

  1. 1. Overview & Use Cases - Jupyter03:39
  2. 2. Creating and Running a Code Snippet - Jupyter03:38
  3. 3. Debugging - Jupyter07:53
  4. 4. Other Useful Features - Jupyter04:59
  5. 5. How to Learn More Jupyter02:01

Course Recap & Goodbye

1 Lesson 1m

  1. 1. Picking the Right Tool for the Task01:52
Start Now

About Martin Breuss

Martin likes automation, goofy jokes, and snakes, all of which fit into the Python community. He enjoys learning and exploring and is up for talking about it, too. He writes and records content for Real Python and CodingNomads.

» More about Martin

Each tutorial at Real Python is created by a team of developers so that it meets our high quality standards. The team members who worked on this tutorial are:

Dan

Sadie

Tappan

Jon

Geir Arne

Joanna

Adriana

Kate

Related Courses:

Python Development in Visual Studio Code

Python Development in Visual Studio Code (Setup Guide)

How to Run Your Python Scripts

Running Python Scripts

Python Virtual Environments (venv)

Working With Python Virtual Environments

Participant Comments

Avatar image for Phillip

Phillip on June 16, 2022

Thank you for the course Martin. That was a great overview of the different coding platforms available. I thought it was great how you explained the various use cases for each editor. Jupyter Notebooks look really interesting as my interest is in Data Science. I’ll be checking out the Jupyter course soon.

Avatar image for David Wright

David Wright on April 20, 2020

Thank you Martin. Excellent course. I have decided on Thonny, since it seems to offer all the things I need at this point in my coding career. It is easy to use and offers many good features.

Avatar image for Walt94

Walt94 on Feb. 22, 2020

Favorite line was: “You’ll always have VIM”. True dat.

Biggest surprise was seeing how good Repl.It was. I did not know they had come that far with online editors.

Thanks for the course. I really enjoyed it.

Avatar image for qmark42

qmark42 on Feb. 21, 2020

Thank You, Martin and Real Python for this course. I’ve learned quite a bit about development setups, and although some of the material was over my head at present, the course did give me a good idea of what I can use in my present studies/work. For now I will probably use VIM or a similar editor and Jupyter Notebook. Maybe in a year or two, I will expand my setup to include an IDE. Right now, I am most interested in Pycharm. Again, thank you for the course.

← Browse All Courses