Module 1 - Section 0 - Introduction

What is an IDE (Intergrated Develoment Environment)

All set to play with Python? Python IDE is the first thing you need to get started with python programming. There are many IDEs available out there in the wild and selecting one can be a daunting task.

You can get started with Python programming in a basic text editor like notepad or choose to go ahead with a complete and feature rich Python IDE like PyCharm, Pydev, Emacs or Eric.

Selection of the right editor can greatly influence productivity and effectiveness of Python programming. Professional programmers invest time well in advance and go for the IDE that best meets their requirements.

Which one should you go for? This is something that you have to decide and totally depends on what you like, need, and can afford. You might need to try a few before narrowing down to the final one.

Most of these IDEs are supported on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac and Linux and are available free of cost. 

There are more advanced commercial IDEs available as well that target enterprises and professional developers. For the course we will use Thonny which is a student oriented IDE developed by the University of Tartu in Estonia.