How to Use Gedit for Python Development

Edited 1 month ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Gedit is a simple yet powerful text editor that is popular among developers looking for a lightweight tool with essential functionalities. It comes pre-installed on many Linux distributions, making it a commonly used application for editing files, including programming files. In this article, we will explore how to set up and use Gedit for Python development. We will also cover some additional plugins and settings that can enhance your programming workflow.

Getting started with Gedit

Before you can proceed with Python development, you need to make sure that you have Gedit installed on your system. You can usually find it by searching for "Gedit" in your system's application launcher. If Gedit is not installed, you can easily get it through your system's package manager. For most Debian-based systems like Ubuntu, you can install Gedit through the terminal with the following command:

sudo apt-get install gedit

Once installed, you can launch Gedit by typing gedit from your terminal, or you can open it through your desktop environment's Applications menu.

Basic features of Gedit for Python development

Despite its simplicity, Gedit provides several features that support programming tasks:

• Syntax highlighting: Gedit automatically highlights the syntax of Python files (that is, files with .py extension) to improve readability.
• Line numbers: Enable line numbers by going to View > Display Line Numbers. This is helpful when debugging your code or discussing specific parts of your script with others.
• Automatic Indentation: Gedit features proper code indentation, which is important for defining blocks of code in Python.
• File backup: When you're working on files, Gedit creates backup copies of them. This feature can be enabled under Edit > Preferences > Editor > Create a backup copy of files before saving.
• Find and Replace: This functionality allows you to quickly find specific parts of the code and replace them if necessary. Use Ctrl + F to access the Find feature and Ctrl + H to access the Replace feature.

Configuring Gedit for Python development

To further enhance your Python development experience, you can customize Gedit through preferences and plugins.

Enabling plugins

Gedit supports a variety of plugins that can add functionalities such as code snippets and bracket matching.

To enable plugins in Gedit:

1. Open Gedit.
2. Go to Edit > Preferences.
3. Go to the Plugins tab.
4. Browse the available plugins and enable them according to your needs. Some of the commonly used plugins for Python development include:
   • Bracket completion: Automatically insert matching brackets and quotes.
   • Python Console: Provides an interactive Python console within Gedit.
   • Code Comments: Quickly comment or uncomment selected lines of code.

Connecting peripherals

Gedit also allows you to integrate external tools that can further improve your productivity. A common practice is to add direct execution capability for Python scripts directly from Gedit:

1. Go to Tools > Manage External Tools...
2. Click Add (the + sign at the bottom of the list).
3. Enter an appropriate name, such as "Run Python Script".
4. In the Edit command field, type the following:

python3 $GEDIT_CURRENT_DOCUMENT_PATH

5. Make sure the checkbox for "Save" is checked.
6. Under the Output section, select "Display in bottom pane."
7. Click Save to add the device.

You can now directly execute Python scripts using this external tool, improving your workflow efficiency.

Writing Python code in Gedit

Once you have set up Gedit for Python development, you can start writing Python code. Here is a simple guide on how to use Gedit effectively:

Creating a new Python file

To create a new Python file:

1. Open Gedit.
2. To open a new document, choose File > New.
3. Begin typing your Python code. For example, you could start with the following script that prints "Hello, World!":

   print("Hello, World!")

4. Save the file by choosing File > Save. Name your file with .py extension, for example, hello_world.py.

Coding conventions and practices

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when coding in Python:

• Indentation: Use 4 spaces per indentation level. Gedit's auto-indent feature helps with this, but you can adjust it under Edit > Preferences > Editor > Indentation Width.
• Comments: Use comments to explain your code. Single-line comments start with #. You can also use multi-line comments with triple quotation marks """ ... """.
• Naming conventions: Use descriptive names for functions and variables.
• Follow PEP 8: Python Enhancement Proposal 8 is a style guide for Python code. While Gedit does not implement PEP 8, known conventions can aid readability and collaboration.

Running your Python script

Once your Python script is ready and saved, you can run it using the terminal or a pre-configured external tool.

Using the terminal

To execute a Python script from the terminal, follow these steps:

1. Open the terminal on your system.
2. Navigate to the directory containing your Python script using cd command. For example:

   cd ~/path_to_your_file

3. Run the Python script as follows:

python3 hello_world.py

Using Gedit external tools

If you have installed peripherals as described earlier:

1. Open your Python file in Gedit.
2. Go to Tools > External Tools > Run Python Script.
3. The output of your script will be displayed in the bottom pane of Gedit.

Advanced features and plugins for Python development

Gedit's functionality can be extended to a great extent by using advanced plugins and settings. Here are some suggestions you can try:

Additional plugins

In addition to the built-in plugins, you can extend the capabilities of Gedit by installing additional plugins:

• Gedit Developer Plugins: This set of plugins provides features such as a class browser and a build system. Install them via your package manager if they are available.
• Custom Plugins: Visit the official GNOME website or GitHub to explore more plugins developed by the community.

Terminal integration

Integrating the terminal within Gedit can streamline your development process by reducing context switching:

• Some third-party plugins allow terminal integration directly inside Gedit.
• Alternatively, you can configure a keyboard shortcut to open the Terminal application directly from Gedit, allowing seamless access to the command line.

Git integration

Version control is crucial in any development process. Although Gedit lacks built-in git integration, consider using an external GUI tool like GitKraken or integrating Git commands directly through the terminal interface within Gedit.

Conclusion

Gedit is a versatile text editor that provides a surprisingly robust environment for Python development when properly configured. Its simplicity helps create an unobtrusive user experience, while plugins and custom tools further enhance functionality. Whether you're writing a simple script or working on a more extensive project, Gedit can be tailored to effectively meet your coding needs.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up a productive Python development environment in Gedit that is suitable for both beginners and experienced programmers.

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