For programming Python, there are literally scores of editors from which to choose. While Python comes with its own editor, IDLE, you are by no means restricted to using it. Every editor will have its plusses and minusses. When evaluating which one you would use, a few points are important to keep in mind:
- The operating system you will be using. Do you work on Mac? Linux or Unix? Windows? The first criterion by which you should judge the suitability of an editor is whether it works on the platform you use. Some editors are platform-independent (they work on more than one operating system), but most are restricted to one. On Mac, the most popular text editor is BBEdit (of which TextWrangler is a free version). Every Windows installation comes with Notepad, but some excellent replacements to consider are Notepad2, Notepad++, and TextPad. On Linux/Unix, many opt for using GEdit or Kate, although others opt for JOE or another editor.
- Do you want a barebones editor or something with more features? Typically, the more features an editor has, the harder it is to learn. However, once you learn them, those features often pay handsome dividends. Some relatively barebones editors are mentioned above. On the feature-full side of things, two multi-platform editors tend to go head-to-head: vi and Emacs. The latter is known to have a near-vertical learning curve, but pays off abundantly once one learns it (full disclosure: I am an avid Emacs user and am, indeed, writing this article with Emacs).
- Any networking capabilities? In addition to desktop features, some editors can be made to retrieve files over a network. Some, like Emacs, even offer the ability to edit remote files in real time, without FTP, over a secure login.
