---
name: "idle-python3.1"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "idle-python3.1"
version: "3.1.3-1"
release: "Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/idle-python3.1"
---

# idle-python3.1(1)

An Integrated DeveLopment Environment for Python

## NAME

**IDLE** - An Integrated DeveLopment Environment for Python

## SYNTAX

**idle \[ *-dins* \] \[ *-t title* \] \[ *file* ...\]**

**idle \[ *-dins* \] \[ *-t title* \] ( *-c cmd* \| *-r file* ) \[ *arg* ...\]**

**idle \[ *-dins* \] \[ *-t title* \] - \[ *arg* ...\]**

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents briefly the **idle** command. This manual page was written for Debian because the original program does not have a manual page. For more information, refer to IDLE's help menu.

**IDLE** is an Integrated DeveLopment Environment for Python. IDLE is based on Tkinter, Python's bindings to the Tk widget set. Features are 100% pure Python, multi-windows with multiple undo and Python colorizing, a Python shell window subclass, a debugger. IDLE is cross-platform, i.e. it works on all platforms where Tk is installed.

## OPTIONS

- **-h**

  Print this help message and exit.

- **-n**

  Run IDLE without a subprocess (see Help/IDLE Help for details).

The following options will override the IDLE 'settings' configuration:

- **-e**

  Open an edit window.

- **-i**

  Open a shell window.

The following options imply -i and will open a shell:

- **-c cmd**

  Run the command in a shell, or

- **-r file**

  Run script from file.

- **-d**

  Enable the debugger.

- **-s**

  Run $IDLESTARTUP or $PYTHONSTARTUP before anything else.

- **-t title**

  Set title of shell window.

A default edit window will be bypassed when -c, -r, or - are used.

\[arg\]\* and \[file\]\* are passed to the command (-c) or script (-r) in sys.argv\[1:\].

## EXAMPLES

- idle

  Open an edit window or shell depending on IDLE's configuration.

- idle foo.py foobar.py

  Edit the files, also open a shell if configured to start with shell.

- idle -est "Baz" foo.py

  Run $IDLESTARTUP or $PYTHONSTARTUP, edit foo.py, and open a shell window with the title "Baz".

- idle -c "import sys; print sys.argv" "foo"

  Open a shell window and run the command, passing "-c" in sys.argv\[0\] and "foo" in sys.argv\[1\].

- idle -d -s -r foo.py "Hello World"

  Open a shell window, run a startup script, enable the debugger, and run foo.py, passing "foo.py" in sys.argv\[0\] and "Hello World" in sys.argv\[1\].

- echo "import sys; print sys.argv" \| idle - "foobar"

  Open a shell window, run the script piped in, passing '' in sys.argv\[0\] and "foobar" in sys.argv\[1\].

## SEE ALSO

[python(1)](/python/1.md).

## AUTHORS

Various.