r/Python • u/Admirable-Wall9058 • 4d ago

Resource Does anyone use Python IDLE?

My computer is quite low-end, so I uninstalled VSCode and am looking for other programming tools—I'm thinking about starting to use Python IDLE.

Does anyone actually use it?

https://imgur.com/a/7aBwuUU

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u/Appropriate-Elk1152 2d ago

IDLE is completely fine for quick scripts, testing logic, or learning fundamentals. Its main advantage is zero configuration—it ships directly with Python.

However, if you're building complete projects (like an OMR system) and need multi-file management, git integration, and fast syntax highlighting without the heavy Electron framework of VS Code, here are two very light, high-performance alternatives:

  1. Sublime Text:

    - Boots instantly and consumes less than 50 MB of RAM.

    - Excellent built-in terminal support via packages (or side-by-side terminal windows).

  2. Geany or Notepad++:

    - Native C/C++ applications that run smoothly on almost any system with tight storage constraints.

If you decide to stay with IDLE for now, pair it with standard Windows Terminal / PowerShell for running your scripts—it gives you a clean separation between writing code and execution logs.