I personally do not use IDLE.  For smaller, simple projects, I just use
vim.  My vim in configured with NerdTree and ConqueTerm plugins.  These two
work for any project I am in, then I have several language specific plugins
including the python plugin.

For the larger project, and I have X available, I like PyCharm.  I have
used the community version, and am quite pleased with it.  Right now, I am
going to start evaluating the commercial IntelliJ IDEA with the PyCharm
plugin.  I often bounce between languages.  Right now Ruby, Go, and Python
are my most common in that order, and enjoy having a universal experience
across all the languages.

I hope you find this info useful, I am sure others will use different
tools, these are simply the ones I am prefer.

Kevin
On Apr 12, 2015 5:47 PM, "Michael Havens" <bmike1@gmail.com> wrote:

> Head First Programming says they want us to use an editor/interpreter
> called IDLE. I'm thinking this is just to make things a little easier
> (though I do not see how saving a .py text file and typing 'python
> <program>' into the shell could be any easier). So what do those in the
> know say?
>
> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>
> On Sat, Apr 11, 2015 at 10:36 AM, Michael Havens <bmike1@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> funny thing.... the python on my system is already python3
>>
>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>
>> On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 3:49 PM, Todd Millecam <tyggna@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> No, you should not worry about it.
>>>
>>> My entire career, doing full-out conversions from python 2 to python 3
>>> I've run into only two problems.
>>>
>>> 1)  In python 3, you need to output stuff via a print() as opposed to a
>>> print "" in python 2
>>> 2)  python 3 defaults all character encodings to unicode, whereas python
>>> 2 needed a unicode string specified with a u''
>>> by python 3.4, they made it so the u'' syntax is ignored and just made
>>> into a string.
>>>
>>> Often, to get python3, it's a package named python3
>>>
>>> Also, everything I've seen from the head-first series is basically just
>>> fluff where the authors care more about hearing themselves talk than they
>>> do about covering the subject matter.
>>>
>>> Honestly, getting ipython/bpython installed and just tab-completing
>>> everything and using the built-in documentation is as good as any textbook,
>>> but starting out that way is kinda difficult.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 2:55 PM, Michael Havens <bmike1@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I do have a concern though; the programs are written in Python3. In
>>>> 'The Hard Way' the author is very adament about NOT using Python3. Should I
>>>> worry about that? How would I go about installing Python3 with apt-get?
>>>> 2.7.6 is what is installed on my system now.
>>>>
>>>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 1:49 PM, Michael Havens <bmike1@gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> yea James. thanks. I wish they had a free version but i suppose $50
>>>>> isn't bad for a text book?
>>>>>
>>>>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 1:21 PM, James Dugger <james.dugger@gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> If you are new to programming look at
>>>>>> "Head First Programming: A learner 's guide to programming using the
>>>>>> Python language" by David Griffiths and Paul Barry.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Head First books take a different approach to learning.  I gave
>>>>>> this book to my 10 year old son who used it to learn programming and Python.
>>>>>> On Apr 5, 2015 12:24 PM, "Michael Havens" <bmike1@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> No problem. I am doing it (badly) "... the hard way."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sun, Apr 5, 2015 at 12:21 PM, James Mcphee <jmcphe@gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> sorry for not responding sooner, michael.  everyone learns in their
>>>>>>>> own way.  if a course is not for you, I can at least point you at how I
>>>>>>>> pick up new languages.  what works for me is the old "scratch an itch"
>>>>>>>> process.  find something that you want to do, and do it with a language.
>>>>>>>>  start small, maybe checking your email or twitter.  it's a matter of
>>>>>>>> getting some inertia behind you.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Sun, Mar 29, 2015 at 11:12 AM, Michael Havens <bmike1@gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Please expand. How would you recommend I go about to learn this
>>>>>>>>> (not in a formal setting)? I can not afford to take classes and because of
>>>>>>>>> a head injury doubt I could complete it successfully anyways.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> In your list I notice you do not mention learning any programming
>>>>>>>>> language. Why is that?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What do you mean by "OS shell integration"?  Is that saying I need
>>>>>>>>> to learn BASH as opposed to Python?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "string operations must mean BASH....
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> when you say "regular expressions"  is this a good resource here
>>>>>>>>> <http://www.aboutlinux.info/2006/01/learn-how-to-use-regular-expressions.html>?
>>>>>>>>> Would I use this with BASH or Python or both?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I notice that in http://learnpythonthehardway.org/ there is a
>>>>>>>>> section that covers using Python with websites so handling and forming
>>>>>>>>> automated web requests is probably covered in more advanced  Python
>>>>>>>>> tutorials.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So to sum it up I think I need to learn Python and BASH. Is this
>>>>>>>>> correct? I also need to learn XML,  JSON  (what do you mean when you say
>>>>>>>>> "from xml.dom import minidom ; import json") and SQL
>>>>>>>>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> For all the pen testing and hacker stuff I went through (7 some
>>>>>>>>> odd years ago), here's what you'll want to know how to do, in approximate
>>>>>>>>> order of priority:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> xml and json parsing (from xml.dom import minidom ; import json)
>>>>>>>>> connecting to and using a database (learn enough SQL to be able to
>>>>>>>>> navigate around one here too), learning sqlalchemy will be enough to land
>>>>>>>>> you a job in the field
>>>>>>>>> OS shell integration (import os)
>>>>>>>>> string operations
>>>>>>>>> regular expressions (import re)
>>>>>>>>> handling and forming automated web requests
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> ---------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org
>>>>>>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
>>>>>>>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> James McPhee
>>>>>>>> jmcphe@gmail.com
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Todd Millecam
>>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------
>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org
>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>>>
>>
>>
>
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