PyDev
| Company type | Software plugin |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software development |
| Founded | July 2003 |
| Founder | Aleks Totic |
Key people | Fabio Zadrozny (lead developer) |
| Products | Python IDE plugin for Eclipse |
| Parent | Appcelerator (since January 2011) |
PyDev functions as a third-party add-on for Eclipse, offering an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tailored for Python programming. It encompasses capabilities such as graphical debugging, code refactoring, and comprehensive code analysis.
History
The inception of PyDev dates back to July 2003 when Aleks Totic developed it, with Fabio Zadrozny assuming the role of lead developer in January 2005. Later that year, a commercial variant named PyDev Extensions was introduced, featuring enhanced functionalities including remote debugging and advanced code analysis.
In July 2008, Aptana acquired PyDev and retained Zadrozny as the project’s lead. By September 2009, PyDev Extensions was open-sourced and integrated into PyDev. Following the acquisition of Aptana by Appcelerator in January 2011, PyDev became part of Appcelerator’s offerings, with Zadrozny continuing to oversee development. This period marked a significant acceleration in PyDev’s progress.
Notable milestones include the release of PyDev 2.0 in March 2011, which added support for Test-driven development (TDD); version 2.5 in April 2012, introducing Django framework integration; and version 2.7.5 in May 2013, launched after a successful crowdfunding initiative that also financed LiClipse—a commercial Eclipse distribution bundling PyDev by default.
The July 2013 release of version 2.8 brought improvements to type inference and saw increased participation from the user community. Subsequent versions have continued to enhance features and received favorable evaluations within the industry.
The most recent major update, version 5.4.0 released in November 2016, incorporated compatibility with Python 3.6, demonstrating an ongoing dedication to aligning with the latest Python developments.
Features
Highlighted features present in version 2.7.5 include:
- Support for CPython, Jython, and IronPython
- Code completion functionality including automatic imports
- Code analysis equipped with quick-fix options (Ctrl+1)
- Both Debugger and Remote Debugger to handle scripts executed outside Eclipse
- Debug console enabling interactive examination during paused execution
- Interactive console environment
- Compatibility with Python syntax versions 2.x and 3.x
- Basic syntax highlighting alongside parser error identification
- Outline view customizable for tabs or spaces preferences
- Intelligent indenting/dedenting, comment toggling, and Code folding
- Navigation tools such as go-to-definition, code coverage visualization, and occurrence marking
- Integration with Pylint and task management for TODO comments
- Content Assistants (Ctrl+1) facilitating result assignment, code block wrapping, docstring creation, and import management
- Real-time keyword auto-completion during typing
- Quick-outline feature for efficient navigation
PyDev extensions
Prior to September 2009, PyDev was distributed in two editions: an open-source version and a shareware PyDev Extensions that offered advanced capabilities like remote debugging, quick-fixes, and code analysis. On September 3, 2009, Aptana consolidated these into PyDev version 1.5 under the Eclipse Public License, unifying all features within a single package.