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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?

Dominic Rodger
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Null Pointer
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    Should be a CW don't you think? – luc Jan 04 '10 at 16:44
  • @luc - agreed. @Null Pointer - please edit your post and check the community wiki checkbox. – Dominic Rodger Jan 04 '10 at 16:45
  • Have a look at this question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/81584/what-ide-to-use-for-python Those IDEs are valid for Django as well, as Django is really just a module for Python. – Tom van Enckevort Jan 04 '10 at 16:48
  • Yep, I understand, but DJango has quite lot of specific features like template languages, complex bindings, e.t.c. May be I am not correct but generic python IDE does not support them well. The primary question for me is does premium support for this features worth paying for them. – Null Pointer Jan 04 '10 at 16:54
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    A support for django templates will definitely be helpful. – Joshua Partogi Jan 05 '10 at 05:38
  • I'm kinda doing that here (http://pfaide.com). Will keep you posted ;) – utku_karatas Jan 08 '10 at 15:08

9 Answers9

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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!

Escualo
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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.

luc
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  • +1: Very, very happy with Komodo Edit. Multi-platform. Does everything I want. Highlights Django template syntax pretty reliably. Handles Python syntax and even does some code completion and pop-up help. – S.Lott Jan 04 '10 at 17:19
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    +1 what S.Lott said, also it is extremely easy to automate (or rather, semi-automate) things like manage.py commands, test suite running and so on. I am really very much torn between Komodo Edit (my current favourite) and Eclipse+PyDev – shylent Jan 04 '10 at 21:59
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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.

Adam Crossland
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  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.
Dominic Rodger
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  • I'm a big fan of NotePad++. Especially because it plays nice with the git workflow with fast auto-reloading of files. I was using NetBeans IDE and the constant re-scanning just killed any productivity that was gained from branch-switching. – JudoWill Jan 04 '10 at 18:06
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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).

Seth
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There are some Django aware IDEs already. PyCharm is excelent for Django development. It even allows to debug Django Templates visually.

Dmitry Trofimov
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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.

Daniel Roseman
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  • We are thinking about creating extension for PyDev. (Ideally we would like to support AppEngine as well). Unfortunately we are not sure that we will be able to compensate our efforts, so this is still very questionable. – Null Pointer Jan 04 '10 at 20:57
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graphic models builder to models.py :), I mean this but vice-versa.

yes I will donate.

panchicore
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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".

Hellnar
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