Code editor
For readers at home: this chapter is covered in the Installing Python & Code Editor video.
You're about to write your first line of code, so it's time to download a code editor!
If you're using a Chromebook, skip this chapter and make sure you follow the Chromebook Setup instructions. The cloud IDE you chose (PaizaCloud Cloud IDE or AWS Cloud9) includes a code editor, and when you open a file in your IDE from the File menu, you will automatically be using the editor.
Note You might have done this earlier in the Installation chapter – if so, you can skip right ahead to the next chapter!
There are a lot of different editors and it largely boils down to personal preference. Most Python programmers use complex but extremely powerful IDEs (Integrated Development Environments), such as PyCharm. As a beginner, however, that's probably less suitable; our recommendations are equally powerful, but a lot simpler.
Our suggestions are below, but feel free to ask your coach what their preferences are – it'll be easier to get help from them.
Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is a source code editor developed by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and macOS. It includes support for debugging, embedded Git control, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, and code refactoring.
Gedit
Gedit is an open-source, free editor, available for all operating systems.
Sublime Text
Sublime Text is a very popular editor with a free evaluation period and it's available for all operating systems.
Why are we installing a code editor?
You might be wondering why we are installing this special code editor software, rather than using something like Word or Notepad.
The first reason is that code needs to be plain text, and the problem with programs like Word and Textedit is that they don't actually produce plain text, they produce rich text (with fonts and formatting), using custom formats like RTF (Rich Text Format).
The second reason is that code editors are specialized for editing code, so they can provide helpful features like highlighting code with color according to its meaning, or automatically closing quotes for you.
We'll see all this in action later. Soon, you'll come to think of your trusty old code editor as one of your favorite tools. :)