Member Avatar for Macooper26

I just downloaded Python 2.7 and 3.2 and it just looks like DOS. I'm using Windows, so I don't know if that's the problem--because I saw someone using a MAC and it looked like they didn't have the same problems that I'm having--because I can't save and I have no colored fonts that you all have. Help anyone?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by griswolf
Member Avatar for griswolf

I am guessing that your background is either not programming, or you are used to a nice IDE. Python has some freely available IDEs, but in honesty, I don't know what they are: I just use Emacs (and I do it on a Mac).

I think you can probably make some progress if you work your way through a tutorial or two. Look here, for instance: http://docs.python.org/tutorial As per my signature, I do suggest that you search the web for discussions about which IDE people like for Python.

Member Avatar for Macooper26

How do I get Emacs (I have access to a MAC computer)?

Member Avatar for griswolf

OK. This is going to be a DOS-like experience...

Start by reading this page: http://www.engineyard.com/blog/2010/homebrew-os-xs-missing-package-manager/

Once you have homebrew installed, chant brew install emacs Be aware that emacs is an acquired taste. I learned to use it in 1989 (my how time flies when you are programming, eh?) and within a few months, the emacs control keystrokes had become embedded in my hands, to the point where I don't even consciously know what my fingers are doing: Pages open, searches happen, etc with only a 'wish' in my mind. Until you get used to the control keystrokes, you will not like emacs. In fact, you may decide you prefer a more GUI experience after you try it, but I encourage you to give it at least a full week of 'nothing but emacs editing' before you give up.

You can instead get emacs for Windows: http://ourcomments.org/cgi-bin/emacsw32-dl-latest.pl ... I don't have a Windows machine easily available to me, so I don't know anything about how this will all work out.

Member Avatar for griswolf

You may prefer a non-emacs editor. I did a quick search for 'windows text editor python' and found a large number. The top hit for free (as in beer and as in speech) was Notepad++ . I think it would be well to start here for it: http://cse.ucdavis.edu/~chaos/courses/nlp/Software/Windows/npp.html

For way more data than you really wanted, look here: http://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonEditors (or http://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonEditors#Windows-OnlyEditors)

Member Avatar for cghtkh

Another editor to consider is "gVim".

Member Avatar for arkoenig

When you installed Python, the installation should have included a program called "Idle," which is a straightforward development environment for Python. Have you tried using that?

Member Avatar for griswolf

That is in fact IDLE (version 1.1.4) as you can see in the first screen.

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