Beginning Programming with Python For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 20

Ten Tools That Enhance Your Python Experience

IN THIS CHAPTER

Debugging, testing, and deploying applications

Documenting and versioning your application

Writing your application code

Working within an interactive environment

Python, like most other programming languages, has strong third-party support in the form of various tools. A tool is any utility that enhances the natural capabilities of Python when building an application. So, a debugger is considered a tool because it’s a utility, but a library isn’t. Libraries are instead used to create better applications. (You can see some of them listed in Chapter 21.)

Even making the distinction between a tool and something that isn’t a tool, such as a library, doesn’t reduce the list by much. Python enjoys access to a wealth of general-purpose and special tools of all sorts. In fact, the site at https://wiki.python.org/moin/DevelopmentTools breaks these tools down into the following 13 categories:

• AutomatedRefactoringTools
• BugTracking
• ConfigurationAndBuildTools
• DistributionUtilities
• DocumentationTools
• IntegratedDevelopmentEnvironments ...