PyCharm

Popular programs in General

What is PyCharm

PyCharm is an integrated development environment (IDE) that targets Python development. It was created by the Czech company JetBrains.

Features of the IDE

PyCharm comes with a lot of built-in developer tools for debugging and testing Python applications. It has version control integration for Git, SVN, and Mercurial. Developers can use these integrations to track and manage their source code. There is also support for Vagrant and Docker infrastructure.

In terms of performance, PyCharm is a mixed bag. Even though it provides faster performance than other similar IDEs, it also takes up a lot of memory. So PyCharm can slow the overall performance of your other applications when you are running the IDE.

Of course, the main reason for using PyCharm is its native features for Python. The autocompletion tool will help you develop your applications faster. It will decrease coding errors. It also has great integration for PIP, the Python package manager.

PyCharm works cross-platform. So if you have different operating systems at home and at the office, you wouldn’t have to worry about setting up two different tools. You can use the version control features of the IDE to keep your workspaces in-sync and enjoy the same work environment in both places.

The PyCharm interface has great navigation capabilities. So you can jump around large code bases seamlessly. Excellent debugging, static analysis and third-party tools will help you with every step of your development process.

But the documentation for PyCharm is not comprehensive. So you will have to depend on forums and support groups if you run into any problems.

Free vs Paid Version

Users can use PyCharm Community Edition for free. Most of the important features like editor, debugger, code inspection, refactoring and version control integrations are part of the free version.

The Professional Edition comes with additional support for web development, frameworks, databases and more. For developers working with Django or Flask, the paid version provides more productivity tools.

Final Thoughts

For any Python developer, PyCharm is an excellent tool. There is a learning curve. But it is worth the time if you are developing Python applications on a regular basis. The free PyCharm Community Edition has most of the important features. So developers can start with the free version to test the waters.

Pros

• Features like code inspection, refactoring, and version control integrations are free
• Great autocompletion for Python
• Easily integrates third-party packages
• Paid version supports frameworks like Django and Flask
• Cross-platform compatible

Cons

• Very high memory usage
• Too many interface panels can be distracting