README.txt: an index to idlelib files and the IDLE menu. IDLE is Python's Integrated Development and Learning Environment. The user documentation is part of the Library Reference and is available in IDLE by selecting Help => IDLE Help. This README documents idlelib for IDLE developers and curious users. IDLELIB FILES lists files alphabetically by category, with a short description of each. IDLE MENU show the menu tree, annotated with the module or module object that implements the corresponding function. This file is descriptive, not prescriptive, and may have errors and omissions and lag behind changes in idlelib. IDLELIB FILES ============= Implementation files not in IDLE MENU are marked (nim). Startup ------- __init__.py # import, does nothing __main__.py # -m, starts IDLE idle.bat idle.py idle.pyw Implementation -------------- autocomplete.py # Complete attribute names or filenames. autocomplete_w.py # Display completions. autoexpand.py # Expand word with previous word in file. browser.py # Create module browser window. calltip.py # Create calltip text. calltip_w.py # Display calltip. codecontext.py # Show compound statement headers otherwise not visible. colorizer.py # Colorize text (nim). config.py # Load, fetch, and save configuration (nim). configdialog.py # Display user configuration dialogs. config_key.py # Change keybindings. debugger.py # Debug code run from shell or editor; show window. debugger_r.py # Debug code run in remote process. debugobj.py # Define class used in stackviewer. debugobj_r.py # Communicate objects between processes with rpc (nim). delegator.py # Define base class for delegators (nim). dynoption.py # Define mutable OptionMenu widget (nim) editor.py # Define most of editor and utility functions. filelist.py # Open files and manage list of open windows (nim). format.py # Define format menu options. grep.py # Find all occurrences of pattern in multiple files. help.py # Display IDLE's html doc. help_about.py # Display About IDLE dialog. history.py # Get previous or next user input in shell (nim) hyperparser.py # Parse code around a given index. iomenu.py # Open, read, and write files macosx.py # Help IDLE run on Macs (nim). mainmenu.py # Define most of IDLE menu. multicall.py # Wrap tk widget to allow multiple calls per event (nim). outwin.py # Create window for grep output. parenmatch.py # Match fenceposts: (), [], and {}. pathbrowser.py # Create path browser window. percolator.py # Manage delegator stack (nim). pyparse.py # Give information on code indentation pyshell.py # Start IDLE, manage shell, complete editor window query.py # Query user for information redirector.py # Intercept widget subcommands (for percolator) (nim). replace.py # Search and replace pattern in text. rpc.py # Communicate between idle and user processes (nim). run.py # Manage user code execution subprocess. runscript.py # Check and run user code. scrolledlist.py # Define scrolledlist widget for IDLE (nim). search.py # Search for pattern in text. searchbase.py # Define base for search, replace, and grep dialogs. searchengine.py # Define engine for all 3 search dialogs. sidebar.py # Define line number and shell prompt sidebars. squeezer.py # Squeeze long shell output (nim). stackviewer.py # View stack after exception. statusbar.py # Define status bar for windows (nim). tabbedpages.py # Define tabbed pages widget (nim). textview.py # Define read-only text widget (nim). tooltip.py # Define popups for calltips, squeezer (nim). tree.py # Define tree widget, used in browsers (nim). undo.py # Manage undo stack. util.py # Define common objects imported elsewhere (nim). windows.py # Manage window list and define listed top level. zoomheight.py # Zoom window to full height of screen. zzdummy.py # Example extension. Configuration ------------- config-extensions.def # Defaults for extensions config-highlight.def # Defaults for colorizing config-keys.def # Defaults for key bindings config-main.def # Defaults for font and general tabs Text ---- CREDITS.txt # not maintained, displayed by About IDLE HISTORY.txt # NEWS up to July 2001 NEWS.txt # commits, displayed by About IDLE NEWS2.txt # commits to Python2 README.txt # this file, displayed by About IDLE TODO.txt # needs review extend.txt # about writing extensions help.html # copy of idle.html in docs, displayed by IDLE Help Subdirectories -------------- Icons # small image files idle_test # files for human test and automated unit tests IDLE MENUS ========== Top level items and most submenu items are defined in mainmenu. Extensions add submenu items when active. The names given are found, quoted, in one of these modules, paired with a '<>'. Each pseudoevent is bound to an event handler. Some event handlers call another function that does the actual work. The annotations below are intended to at least give the module where the actual work is done. 'eEW' = editor.EditorWindow File New File # eEW.new_callback Open... # iomenu.open Open Module # eEw.open_module Recent Files Class Browser # eEW.open_class_browser, browser.ClassBrowser Path Browser # eEW.open_path_browser, pathbrowser --- Save # iomenu.save Save As... # iomenu.save_as Save Copy As... # iomenu.save_a_copy --- Print Window # iomenu.print_window --- Close # eEW.close_event Exit # flist.close_all_callback (bound in eEW) Edit Undo # undodelegator Redo # undodelegator --- # eEW.right_menu_event Cut # eEW.cut Copy # eEW.copy Paste # eEW.past Select All # eEW.select_all (+ see eEW.remove_selection) --- # Next 5 items use searchengine; dialogs use searchbase Find # eEW.find_event, search.SearchDialog.find Find Again # eEW.find_again_event, sSD.find_again Find Selection # eEW.find_selection_event, sSD.find_selection Find in Files... # eEW.find_in_files_event, grep Replace... # eEW.replace_event, replace.ReplaceDialog.replace Go to Line # eEW.goto_line_event Show Completions # autocomplete extension and autocompleteWidow (&HP) Expand Word # autoexpand extension Show call tip # Calltips extension and CalltipWindow (& Hyperparser) Show surrounding parens # parenmatch (& Hyperparser) Format (Editor only) [fFR = format.FormatRegion] Format Paragraph # format.FormatParagraph.format_paragraph_event Indent Region # fFR.indent_region_event Dedent Region # fFR.dedent_region_event Comment Out Reg. # fFR.comment_region_event Uncomment Region # fFR.uncomment_region_event Tabify Region # fFR.tabify_region_event Untabify Region # fFR.untabify_region_event Toggle Tabs # format.Indents.toggle_tabs_event New Indent Width # format.Indents.change_indentwidth_event Strip tailing whitespace # format.rstrip Zin # zzdummy Zout # zzdummy Run (Editor only) Run Module # runscript.ScriptBinding.run_module_event Run... Customized # runscript.ScriptBinding.run_custom_event Check Module # runscript.ScriptBinding.check_module_event Python Shell # pyshell.Pyshell, pyshell.ModifiedInterpreter Shell # pyshell View Last Restart # pyshell.PyShell.view_restart_mark Restart Shell # pyshell.PyShell.restart_shell Previous History # history.History.history_prev Next History # history.History.history_next Interrupt Execution # pyshell.PyShell.cancel_callback Debug (Shell only) Go to File/Line # outwin.OutputWindow.goto_file_line debugger # debugger, debugger_r, PyShell.toggle_debugger Stack Viewer # stackviewer, PyShell.open_stack_viewer Auto-open Stack Viewer # stackviewer Options Configure IDLE # eEW.config_dialog, config, configdialog (cd) (Parts of the dialog) Buttons # cd.ConfigDialog Font tab # cd.FontPage, config-main.def Highlight tab # cd.HighPage, query, config-highlight.def Keys tab # cd.KeysPage, query, config_key, config_keys.def Windows tab # cd.WinPage, config_main.def Shell/Ed tab # cd.ShedPage, config-main.def Extensions tab # config-extensions.def, corresponding .py files --- ... Code Context # codecontext ... Line Numbers # sidebar Zoomheight # zoomheight Window # windows Help About IDLE # eEW.about_dialog, help_about.AboutDialog --- IDLE Help # eEW.help_dialog, help.show_idlehelp Python Docs # eEW.python_docs Turtle Demo # eEW.open_turtle_demo --- (right click) Defined in editor, PyShell.pyshell Cut Copy Paste --- Go to file/line (shell and output only) Set Breakpoint (editor only) Clear Breakpoint (editor only) Defined in debugger Go to source line Show stack frame Center Insert # eEW.center_insert_event OTHER TOPICS ============ Generally use PEP 8. import statements ----------------- Put imports at the top, unless there is a good reason otherwise. PEP 8 says to group stdlib, 3rd-party dependencies, and package imports. For idlelib, the groups are general stdlib, tkinter, and idlelib. Sort modules within each group, except that tkinter.ttk follows tkinter. Sort 'from idlelib import mod1' and 'from idlelib.mod2 import object' together by module, ignoring within module objects. Put 'import __main__' after other idlelib imports. Imports only needed for testing are put not at the top but in an htest function def or "if __name__ == '__main__'" clause. Within module imports like "from idlelib.mod import class" may cause circular imports to deadlock. Even without this, circular imports may require at least one of the imports to be delayed until a function call. What's New entries ------------------ Repository directory Doc/whatsnew/ has a file 3.n.rst for each 3.n Python version. For the first entry in each file, add subsection 'IDLE and idlelib', in alphabetical position, to the 'Improved Modules' section. For the rest of cpython, entries to 3.(n+1).rst begin with the release of 3.n.0b1. For IDLE, entries for features backported from 'main' to '3.n' during its beta period do not got in 3.(n+1).rst. The latter usually gets its first entry during the 3.n.0 candidate period or after the 3.n.0 release. When, as per PEP 434, feature changes are backported, entries are placed in the 3.n.rst file *in the main branch* for each Python version n that gets the backport. (Note: the format of entries have varied between versions.) Add a line "New in 3.n maintenance releases." before the first back-ported feature after 3.n.0 is released. Since each older version file gets a different number of backports, it is easiest to make a separate PR for each file and label it with the backports needed. Github repository and issues ---------------------------- The CPython repository is https://github.com/python/cpython. The IDLE Issues listing is https://github.com/orgs/python/projects/31. The main classification is by Topic, based on the IDLE menu. View the topics list by clicking the [<]] button in the upper right.