Does Django need an IDE?

Question

My company is evaluating the possibility of developing a specialized IDE for Django.

So we would like to ask Django users:

• Do you feel the need for a specialized IDE for Django?

• Would you be willing to pay for it, or would you only consider free a open-source product?

• What Django-specific features are you missing currently in your development tools?

Answer 1

You'll likely want an IDE that will provide you with the ability to do source-level debugging of your accompanying Python code. Without it, your productivity will really be below what it could be.

I use Wing IDE, and I find it to be worth every penny.

Answer 2

1. I use NotePad++, and have yet to need a fully-fledged IDE specifically for Django (though I do wish NotePad++ would stop periodically crashing).
2. I wouldn't, unless it was really really good (and I have no idea what features it'd need to make me enthusiastic enough to pay for it).
3. Maybe a neater way to tie together code for a specific app within a project (models, views and template code). NotePad++'s File->Open dialog is the Windows one, which picks up the directory from the currently open file. It'd be nice if it allowed me to switch quickly between related files.

Answer 3

I am using Komodo Edit and it's very good. There is a lot of good open-sources product so i don't think that I would buy a commercial product.

Maybe a very good and easy-to-use debugger would make me change my mind.

I hope it helps.

Answer 4

I am currently using aptana studio (basically eclipse with aptana's pydev plugin) and find it useful.

I would be willing to pay for a really good IDE though.

5 features I would like to see:

1. Full support for Django templates, including code completion and syntax highlighting
2. Good, easy to use, debugging that allows you to set breakpoints in your templates as well as your python code
3. Version control integration - I use mercurial, and I have to say, mercurial eclipse is not as good as I would like
4. Support for javascript and popular libraries - aptana offers plugins for a dozen or so the popular javascript libraries to enable code completion for jquery/prototype/etc
5. Support for django models - it'd be nice to have the IDE recognize that you're dealing with an instance of a django model and offer code completion for it's methods (and its managers' methods)

I realize that version control and javascript support aren't directly django related, but I include them because lack of those features would keep me from switching over :)

Answer 5

It's great that your company wants to contribute to the community, but I have to say that I don't see what a 'Django IDE' would achieve. There are already plugins for all the main editors and IDEs to support Django - from Vim to TextMate to NetBeans - and these provide syntax highlighting, indentation, shortcuts and snippets for both Python source and Django templates. These can always do with more work, of course, so perhaps your efforts would be best focused on improving one of these.

Answer 6

I would pay a reasonable amount for a Django-tailored IDE or plug-in. I don't know what I mean by reasonable, but maye it helps to know that I would not pay more than $75, and I would only pay the $75 if the tool was really awesome.

Now, Django specific features:

• Seamless integration with Google Apps (get me the urchin, the license for Google Maps, and put it in my templates)
• Full support for the templating engine (details in the other answers you have received)
• Lorem ipsum generation (Django has it, just make it simpler)
• Prepackaged modules for common tasks (e.g. give me a full login page with template an all)
• Link within the code for Django documentation and examples (e.g. Django snippets)
• One-click for multi-browser comparison
• Full CSS support
• An object explorer (along the lines of the Django-admin, but off-line)
• A color palette with cool combinations (say, blue-based, orange-based)
• Wizard for uploading the local project to Webfaction or similar hosting solution

If I can think of anything else I will edit the answer.

Good luck in designing your product!

Answer 7

graphic models builder to models.py :), I mean this but vice-versa.

yes I will donate.

Answer 8

This question comes up a lot in various forms. I suspect it's because there just isn't a Python IDE which is universally accepted to be awesome.

If I could have:

• some of the features of PyDev, like like real code completion, module navigation, live syntax checking and pylint
• a fantastic (and fast) text editor (like eric4's scintilla-based editor)
• support for django templates (maybe with gui support for wx or glade or whatever),
• awesome debugging (like C# on Visual Studio)
• a reasonable footprint (i.e., not Eclipse/Aptana or NetBeans)
• cross platform (Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows)
• sane version control support
• auto doctests and unit tests

Then I'd buy it.

All of the python IDEs come close, but all miss the mark by a bit.

(Better yet, it would be open source and I'd download it and donate / contribute to it).

Answer 9

I would definitely pay or donate for a pure Django IDE, even tho there are already some existing plugins, I feel something is always "floating".