1 | This file, idlelib/help.txt is out-of-date and no longer used by Idle. |
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2 | It is deprecated and will be removed in the future, possibly in 3.6 |
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3 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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4 | |
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5 | [See the end of this file for ** TIPS ** on using IDLE !!] |
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6 | |
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7 | File Menu: |
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8 | |
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9 | New File -- Create a new editing window |
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10 | Open... -- Open an existing file |
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11 | Recent Files... -- Open a list of recent files |
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12 | Open Module... -- Open an existing module (searches sys.path) |
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13 | Class Browser -- Show classes and methods in current file |
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14 | Path Browser -- Show sys.path directories, modules, classes |
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15 | and methods |
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16 | --- |
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17 | Save -- Save current window to the associated file (unsaved |
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18 | windows have a * before and after the window title) |
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19 | |
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20 | Save As... -- Save current window to new file, which becomes |
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21 | the associated file |
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22 | Save Copy As... -- Save current window to different file |
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23 | without changing the associated file |
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24 | --- |
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25 | Print Window -- Print the current window |
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26 | --- |
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27 | Close -- Close current window (asks to save if unsaved) |
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28 | Exit -- Close all windows, quit (asks to save if unsaved) |
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29 | |
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30 | Edit Menu: |
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31 | |
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32 | Undo -- Undo last change to current window |
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33 | (A maximum of 1000 changes may be undone) |
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34 | Redo -- Redo last undone change to current window |
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35 | --- |
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36 | Cut -- Copy a selection into system-wide clipboard, |
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37 | then delete the selection |
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38 | Copy -- Copy selection into system-wide clipboard |
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39 | Paste -- Insert system-wide clipboard into window |
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40 | Select All -- Select the entire contents of the edit buffer |
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41 | --- |
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42 | Find... -- Open a search dialog box with many options |
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43 | Find Again -- Repeat last search |
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44 | Find Selection -- Search for the string in the selection |
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45 | Find in Files... -- Open a search dialog box for searching files |
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46 | Replace... -- Open a search-and-replace dialog box |
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47 | Go to Line -- Ask for a line number and show that line |
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48 | Show Calltip -- Open a small window with function param hints |
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49 | Show Completions -- Open a scroll window allowing selection keywords |
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50 | and attributes. (see '*TIPS*', below) |
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51 | Show Parens -- Highlight the surrounding parenthesis |
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52 | Expand Word -- Expand the word you have typed to match another |
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53 | word in the same buffer; repeat to get a |
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54 | different expansion |
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55 | |
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56 | Format Menu (only in Edit window): |
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57 | |
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58 | Indent Region -- Shift selected lines right 4 spaces |
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59 | Dedent Region -- Shift selected lines left 4 spaces |
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60 | Comment Out Region -- Insert ## in front of selected lines |
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61 | Uncomment Region -- Remove leading # or ## from selected lines |
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62 | Tabify Region -- Turns *leading* stretches of spaces into tabs |
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63 | (Note: We recommend using 4 space blocks to indent Python code.) |
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64 | Untabify Region -- Turn *all* tabs into the right number of spaces |
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65 | New Indent Width... -- Open dialog to change indent width |
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66 | Format Paragraph -- Reformat the current blank-line-separated |
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67 | paragraph |
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68 | |
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69 | Run Menu (only in Edit window): |
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70 | |
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71 | Python Shell -- Open or wake up the Python shell window |
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72 | --- |
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73 | Check Module -- Run a syntax check on the module |
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74 | Run Module -- Execute the current file in the __main__ namespace |
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75 | |
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76 | Shell Menu (only in Shell window): |
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77 | |
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78 | View Last Restart -- Scroll the shell window to the last restart |
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79 | Restart Shell -- Restart the interpreter with a fresh environment |
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80 | |
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81 | Debug Menu (only in Shell window): |
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82 | |
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83 | Go to File/Line -- look around the insert point for a filename |
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84 | and line number, open the file, and show the line |
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85 | Debugger (toggle) -- Run commands in the shell under the debugger |
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86 | Stack Viewer -- Show the stack traceback of the last exception |
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87 | Auto-open Stack Viewer (toggle) -- Open stack viewer on traceback |
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88 | |
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89 | Options Menu: |
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90 | |
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91 | Configure IDLE -- Open a configuration dialog. Fonts, indentation, |
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92 | keybindings, and color themes may be altered. |
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93 | Startup Preferences may be set, and Additional Help |
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94 | Sources can be specified. On OS X, open the |
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95 | configuration dialog by selecting Preferences |
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96 | in the application menu. |
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97 | --- |
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98 | Code Context -- Open a pane at the top of the edit window which |
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99 | shows the block context of the section of code |
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100 | which is scrolling off the top or the window. |
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101 | (Not present in Shell window.) |
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102 | |
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103 | Window Menu: |
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104 | |
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105 | Zoom Height -- toggles the window between configured size |
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106 | and maximum height. |
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107 | --- |
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108 | The rest of this menu lists the names of all open windows; |
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109 | select one to bring it to the foreground (deiconifying it if |
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110 | necessary). |
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111 | |
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112 | Help Menu: |
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113 | |
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114 | About IDLE -- Version, copyright, license, credits |
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115 | IDLE Readme -- Background discussion and change details |
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116 | --- |
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117 | IDLE Help -- Display this file |
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118 | Python Docs -- Access local Python documentation, if |
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119 | installed. Otherwise, access www.python.org. |
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120 | --- |
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121 | (Additional Help Sources may be added here) |
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122 | |
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123 | Edit context menu (Right-click / Control-click on OS X in Edit window): |
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124 | |
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125 | Cut -- Copy a selection into system-wide clipboard, |
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126 | then delete the selection |
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127 | Copy -- Copy selection into system-wide clipboard |
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128 | Paste -- Insert system-wide clipboard into window |
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129 | Set Breakpoint -- Sets a breakpoint (when debugger open) |
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130 | Clear Breakpoint -- Clears the breakpoint on that line |
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131 | |
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132 | Shell context menu (Right-click / Control-click on OS X in Shell window): |
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133 | |
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134 | Cut -- Copy a selection into system-wide clipboard, |
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135 | then delete the selection |
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136 | Copy -- Copy selection into system-wide clipboard |
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137 | Paste -- Insert system-wide clipboard into window |
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138 | --- |
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139 | Go to file/line -- Same as in Debug menu |
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140 | |
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141 | |
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142 | ** TIPS ** |
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143 | ========== |
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144 | |
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145 | Additional Help Sources: |
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146 | |
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147 | Windows users can Google on zopeshelf.chm to access Zope help files in |
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148 | the Windows help format. The Additional Help Sources feature of the |
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149 | configuration GUI supports .chm, along with any other filetypes |
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150 | supported by your browser. Supply a Menu Item title, and enter the |
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151 | location in the Help File Path slot of the New Help Source dialog. Use |
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152 | http:// and/or www. to identify external URLs, or download the file and |
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153 | browse for its path on your machine using the Browse button. |
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154 | |
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155 | All users can access the extensive sources of help, including |
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156 | tutorials, available at www.python.org/doc. Selected URLs can be added |
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157 | or removed from the Help menu at any time using Configure IDLE. |
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158 | |
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159 | Basic editing and navigation: |
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160 | |
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161 | Backspace deletes char to the left; DEL deletes char to the right. |
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162 | Control-backspace deletes word left, Control-DEL deletes word right. |
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163 | Arrow keys and Page Up/Down move around. |
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164 | Control-left/right Arrow moves by words in a strange but useful way. |
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165 | Home/End go to begin/end of line. |
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166 | Control-Home/End go to begin/end of file. |
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167 | Some useful Emacs bindings are inherited from Tcl/Tk: |
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168 | Control-a beginning of line |
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169 | Control-e end of line |
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170 | Control-k kill line (but doesn't put it in clipboard) |
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171 | Control-l center window around the insertion point |
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172 | Standard Windows bindings may work on that platform. |
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173 | Keybindings are selected in the Settings Dialog, look there. |
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174 | |
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175 | Automatic indentation: |
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176 | |
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177 | After a block-opening statement, the next line is indented by 4 spaces |
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178 | (in the Python Shell window by one tab). After certain keywords |
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179 | (break, return etc.) the next line is dedented. In leading |
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180 | indentation, Backspace deletes up to 4 spaces if they are there. Tab |
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181 | inserts spaces (in the Python Shell window one tab), number depends on |
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182 | Indent Width. (N.B. Currently tabs are restricted to four spaces due |
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183 | to Tcl/Tk issues.) |
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184 | |
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185 | See also the indent/dedent region commands in the edit menu. |
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186 | |
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187 | Completions: |
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188 | |
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189 | Completions are supplied for functions, classes, and attributes of |
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190 | classes, both built-in and user-defined. Completions are also provided |
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191 | for filenames. |
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192 | |
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193 | The AutoCompleteWindow (ACW) will open after a predefined delay |
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194 | (default is two seconds) after a '.' or (in a string) an os.sep is |
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195 | typed. If after one of those characters (plus zero or more other |
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196 | characters) you type a Tab the ACW will open immediately if a possible |
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197 | continuation is found. |
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198 | |
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199 | If there is only one possible completion for the characters entered, a |
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200 | Tab will supply that completion without opening the ACW. |
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201 | |
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202 | 'Show Completions' will force open a completions window. In an empty |
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203 | string, this will contain the files in the current directory. On a |
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204 | blank line, it will contain the built-in and user-defined functions and |
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205 | classes in the current name spaces, plus any modules imported. If some |
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206 | characters have been entered, the ACW will attempt to be more specific. |
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207 | |
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208 | If string of characters is typed, the ACW selection will jump to the |
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209 | entry most closely matching those characters. Entering a Tab will cause |
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210 | the longest non-ambiguous match to be entered in the Edit window or |
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211 | Shell. Two Tabs in a row will supply the current ACW selection, as |
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212 | will Return or a double click. Cursor keys, Page Up/Down, mouse |
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213 | selection, and the scrollwheel all operate on the ACW. |
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214 | |
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215 | 'Hidden' attributes can be accessed by typing the beginning of hidden |
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216 | name after a '.'. e.g. '_'. This allows access to modules with |
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217 | '__all__' set, or to class-private attributes. |
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218 | |
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219 | Completions and the 'Expand Word' facility can save a lot of typing! |
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220 | |
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221 | Completions are currently limited to those in the namespaces. Names in |
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222 | an Edit window which are not via __main__ or sys.modules will not be |
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223 | found. Run the module once with your imports to correct this |
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224 | situation. Note that IDLE itself places quite a few modules in |
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225 | sys.modules, so much can be found by default, e.g. the re module. |
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226 | |
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227 | If you don't like the ACW popping up unbidden, simply make the delay |
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228 | longer or disable the extension. OTOH, you could make the delay zero. |
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229 | |
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230 | You could also switch off the CallTips extension. (We will be adding |
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231 | a delay to the call tip window.) |
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232 | |
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233 | Python Shell window: |
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234 | |
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235 | Control-c interrupts executing command. |
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236 | Control-d sends end-of-file; closes window if typed at >>> prompt. |
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237 | |
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238 | Command history: |
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239 | |
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240 | Alt-p retrieves previous command matching what you have typed. |
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241 | Alt-n retrieves next. |
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242 | (These are Control-p, Control-n on OS X) |
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243 | Return while cursor is on a previous command retrieves that command. |
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244 | Expand word is also useful to reduce typing. |
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245 | |
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246 | Syntax colors: |
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247 | |
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248 | The coloring is applied in a background "thread", so you may |
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249 | occasionally see uncolorized text. To change the color |
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250 | scheme, use the Configure IDLE / Highlighting dialog. |
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251 | |
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252 | Python default syntax colors: |
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253 | |
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254 | Keywords orange |
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255 | Builtins royal purple |
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256 | Strings green |
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257 | Comments red |
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258 | Definitions blue |
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259 | |
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260 | Shell default colors: |
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261 | |
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262 | Console output brown |
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263 | stdout blue |
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264 | stderr red |
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265 | stdin black |
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266 | |
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267 | Other preferences: |
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268 | |
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269 | The font preferences, keybinding, and startup preferences can |
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270 | be changed using the Settings dialog. |
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271 | |
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272 | Command line usage: |
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273 | |
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274 | Enter idle -h at the command prompt to get a usage message. |
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275 | |
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276 | Running without a subprocess: |
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277 | |
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278 | If IDLE is started with the -n command line switch it will run in a |
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279 | single process and will not create the subprocess which runs the RPC |
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280 | Python execution server. This can be useful if Python cannot create |
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281 | the subprocess or the RPC socket interface on your platform. However, |
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282 | in this mode user code is not isolated from IDLE itself. Also, the |
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283 | environment is not restarted when Run/Run Module (F5) is selected. If |
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284 | your code has been modified, you must reload() the affected modules and |
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285 | re-import any specific items (e.g. from foo import baz) if the changes |
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286 | are to take effect. For these reasons, it is preferable to run IDLE |
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287 | with the default subprocess if at all possible. |
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288 | |
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289 | Extensions: |
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290 | |
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291 | IDLE contains an extension facility. See the beginning of |
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292 | config-extensions.def in the idlelib directory for further information. |
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293 | The default extensions are currently: |
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294 | |
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295 | FormatParagraph |
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296 | AutoExpand |
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297 | ZoomHeight |
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298 | ScriptBinding |
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299 | CallTips |
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300 | ParenMatch |
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301 | AutoComplete |
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302 | CodeContext |
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