Stani's Python Editor - questions

[Laszlo Nagy]

Hello,

I was trying to get answers for these. SPE homepage was down. Then I
found it on berlios
(http://developer.berlios.de/forum/forum.php?forum_id=12695) but no one
answered since 5 days. In fact nobody seems to write in anything to that
forum, I presume it is dead. I have no other choice than ask it here. I
apologize in advance, they may be silly questions.

1. How can I navigate between opened files? Usually I open 10 or more
files at the same time. There is no way to quickly scroll the tabs and
select the one that I want. Tabs simply run out of my screen.
2. I tried to use the "Browser" for navigation but it tells me "file is
already open" and it won't switch to the file. Annoying.
3. I also tried to go to the file using Ctrl+Enter (when the name of the
file is written under the cursor). The same problem: it tells "file is
already open", and it will not switch to the (already opened) file.
4. While running a program from inside SPE, the output window display
everything in HTML, including the stdout of the program. I have a
program that produces a very nice output when I run it from a terminal.
But it is unbelievable what it looks like when I run it from SPE.
Especially if you print messages like <class __main__.A> they will
silently disappear from the output screen because they look like an
invalid HTML tag. Frustrating.
5. There should be a an option to clear the output panel before running
the program anyway. I see no way to clear it at all.
6. When I create a new file and select File/Save as, the dialog window
comes up. It is so small that I cannot see the names of the shortest
files and it is not resizeable.
7. Whenever I open a file or start a program inside SPE, I get a "Failed
to display HTML document in ISO-8859-1 encoding" error message.
8. The "Explore" panel on the left comes up for every file that I open.
I do not want it to come up by default, because I have screen resolution
problems.

I did not find any options/preferences to change the above things. Some
of the above might be new feature requests. I recently switched from
DrPython to SPE. SPE has more functions and it could be much much better
than DrPython, but it has big problems. For example, I like that SPE
saves the workspace automatically for me. But it takes two minutes to
start up SPE, because I have to press the "OK" button on the ISO8859-1
message for each file that is re-opened. I very like the Browser window,
but I cannot use it for navigation. I like the new style save file
dialog, but I cannot use it because it is small. I like the code
completion. (dot)

Thanks,

Laszlo

 

[Franz Steinhaeusler]

Hello,

I was trying to get answers for these. SPE homepage was down. Then I
found it on berlios
(http://developer.berlios.de/forum/forum.php?forum_id=12695) but no one
answered since 5 days. In fact nobody seems to write in anything to that
forum, I presume it is dead. I have no other choice than ask it here. I
apologize in advance, they may be silly questions.

1. How can I navigate between opened files? Usually I open 10 or more
files at the same time. There is no way to quickly scroll the tabs and
select the one that I want. Tabs simply run out of my screen.

Normally with ctrl-tab, ctrl-shift-tab, ctrl-f6 ctrl-shift-f6 (at least
on windows)

2. I tried to use the "Browser" for navigation but it tells me "file is
already open" and it won't switch to the file. Annoying.

What version do you have? on 0.8.0b on Windows, it jumps to the tab,
if the file is already open.

[...]
I did not find any options/preferences to change the above things. Some
of the above might be new feature requests. I recently switched from
DrPython to SPE. SPE has more functions and it could be much much better
than DrPython, but it has big problems.

Now the interesting part of your post begins for me.

For example, I like that SPE
saves the workspace automatically for me.

In DrPython you have a plugin Sessions or SessionsLight for that.
on the sf project page and the SessionsLight on:
http://mitglied.lycos.de/drpython/
It saves all open file plus last editing position.

But it takes two minutes to
start up SPE, because I have to press the "OK" button on the ISO8859-1
message for each file that is re-opened.

I very like the Browser window,
but I cannot use it for navigation. I like the new style save file
dialog, but I cannot use it because it is small. I like the code
completion. (dot)

In DrPython, there is also a Code Completions plugin.
It is not perfect, but still useful.


I don't want to persuade to use this or that,
but a closer look to the plugins will reveal
the "hidden" features of DrPython, and plugins
prevent DrPython to become to bloated.

 

[Laszlo Nagy]

Normally with ctrl-tab, ctrl-shift-tab, ctrl-f6 ctrl-shift-f6 (at least
on windows)

This does not work for me. I'm using these:

OS: FreeBSD 6.1-RELEASE
Python: 2.4.3
wxPython: 2.6.3.3
SPE: 0.8.2a

Maybe I should use 0.8.0, but this would be difficult. My SPE was
installed using the "ports" system of my OS and I do not want to screw
it up.

What version do you have? on 0.8.0b on Windows, it jumps to the tab,
if the file is already open.

Does not work for me! I'm getting messages like this:

python:3255): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_container_remove: assertion
`GTK_IS_TOOLBARcontainer) || widget->parent == GTK_WIDGETcontainer)' failed
python:3255): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_container_remove: assertion
`GTK_IS_TOOLBARcontainer) || widget->parent == GTK_WIDGETcontainer)' failed

I'm not sure what it means, but maybe the problem is not in SPE or
DrPython - it is with wxWidgets or GTK ?

In DrPython you have a plugin Sessions or SessionsLight for that.

Okay, I know that DrPython has lots of plugins. I tried to install some
of them but the important ones did not work and I gave up.This must be a problem with wxHtmlWindow because I get the same message
when I start the wxPython demo. I'm upgrading wxPython right now, but
I'm not sure if it will help. SPE requires 2.6.1 and I already have a
newer version. (DrPython does not use wxHtmlWindow, this is why it does
not throw error messages.)

In DrPython, there is also a Code Completions plugin.
It is not perfect, but still useful.

I tried to install it on FreeBSD but it did not work. I tried it on
Windows and turned out that code completion in DrPython it is much worse
than in SPE. I'm missing code folding as well. DrPython is better for me
right now, because it works. But none of them are practical nor easy
to use. SPE would be better if it worked. I wanted to buy the Wing IDE,
but their support team said it is not available for FreeBSD. They allow
me to compile it from sources but it is a mess. I would have to sign an
NDA and spend hours with compiling it, and it would still not be a
supported platform. It is just too much work. Komodo does not work on
FreeBSD at all. Also tried boaconstructor, but it was very unstable. If
I would like to have a good IDE for Python that knows a lot (code
completion, code folding, class browser, integrated debugger, call tips,
subversion integration etc.) then what choices I have?

I don't want to persuade to use this or that,
but a closer look to the plugins will reveal
the "hidden" features of DrPython, and plugins
prevent DrPython to become to bloated.

I'm sorry, I do not want to be offensive. DrPython is good, but it is
not a complete IDE. I would happily pay for a good IDE but I cannot find
one (not for FreeBSD). Maybe the problem is with my mind and I should
replace my OS immediately.

Best,

Laszlo

 

[Franz Steinhaeusler]

This does not work for me. I'm using these:

OS: FreeBSD 6.1-RELEASE
Python: 2.4.3
wxPython: 2.6.3.3
SPE: 0.8.2a

I also saw big problems with DrPython on wxPython: 2.6.3.3 and Ubuntu.

Maybe I should use 0.8.0, but this would be difficult. My SPE was
installed using the "ports" system of my OS and I do not want to screw
it up.
Does not work for me! I'm getting messages like this:

python:3255): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_container_remove: assertion
`GTK_IS_TOOLBARcontainer) || widget->parent == GTK_WIDGETcontainer)' failed
python:3255): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_container_remove: assertion
`GTK_IS_TOOLBARcontainer) || widget->parent == GTK_WIDGETcontainer)' failed

Same similar error messages with DrPy.
I would try to update to a higher wxPython version and/or reporting this
to the wxPython user mailing list.

I'm not sure what it means, but maybe the problem is not in SPE or
DrPython - it is with wxWidgets or GTK ?

I suspect so.

Okay, I know that DrPython has lots of plugins. I tried to install some
of them but the important ones did not work and I gave up.
This must be a problem with wxHtmlWindow because I get the same message
when I start the wxPython demo. I'm upgrading wxPython right now, but
I'm not sure if it will help. SPE requires 2.6.1 and I already have a
newer version. (DrPython does not use wxHtmlWindow, this is why it does
not throw error messages.)

I would comment out the wxPython versions check in spe for trying out.

I tried to install it on FreeBSD but it did not work. I tried it on
Windows and turned out that code completion in DrPython it is much worse
than in SPE.

Yes, I know!
This is also a future task.

I'm missing code folding as well. DrPython is better for me
right now, because it works.

Code folding should work in DrPython. Preferences => File types and
click folding check box, then the folding menu in View menu should work.

It is on "our" todo list for Drpython. I plan on January or February to
make a thorough test on Linux.
BTW: For that I'm (we're) looking for tester and developer for all
that things.

But none of them are practical nor easy
to use. SPE would be better if it worked. I wanted to buy the Wing IDE,
but their support team said it is not available for FreeBSD. They allow
me to compile it from sources but it is a mess. I would have to sign an
NDA and spend hours with compiling it, and it would still not be a
supported platform. It is just too much work. Komodo does not work on
FreeBSD at all. Also tried boaconstructor, but it was very unstable. If
I would like to have a good IDE for Python that knows a lot (code
completion, code folding, class browser, integrated debugger, call tips,
subversion integration etc.) then what choices I have?

Did you try already Eric3 (with PyQt). Looks very nice and stable
and has a lot of features.

I'm sorry, I do not want to be offensive.

No, no problem at all!

DrPython is good, but it is
not a complete IDE.

I see, it isn't intended to be that also.

I would happily pay for a good IDE but I cannot find
one (not for FreeBSD). Maybe the problem is with my mind and I should
replace my OS immediately.

Good Luck for finding your preferred editor and IDE.

Best,

Laszlo

Cheers,

 

[Peter Decker]

Same similar error messages with DrPy.
I would try to update to a higher wxPython version and/or reporting this
to the wxPython user mailing list.

FWIW, this has been reported for ages on the wxPython list. It's a bug
in the Gtk implementation that generates these scary-looking warnings,
but doesn't seem to cause any real problems.

 

[Franz Steinhaeusler]

FWIW, this has been reported for ages on the wxPython list. It's a bug
in the Gtk implementation that generates these scary-looking warnings,
but doesn't seem to cause any real problems.

Sorry, I didn't find the right messages.
Do you remember is is necessary to update wxpython or even other
underlying software?