What is PyCharm?

Nowadays, Python is in great demand. It is widely used in the software development industry. There are ‘n’ number of reasons for this.

• High-level object-oriented programming language: Python includes effective symbolism.
• Rapid application development: Because of its concise code and literal syntax, the development of applications gets accelerated. The reason for its wide usability is its simple and easy-to-master syntax. The simplicity of the code helps reduce the time and cost of development.
• Dynamic typescript: Python has high-level incorporated data structures blended with dynamic typescript and powerful binding.

Now, let us dive deeper into some of the unique features that make Python the most ubiquitous language among the developer community. Here are a few of the many features of Python:

• Python supports code reusability and modularity.
• It has a quick edit-inspect-debug cycle.
• Debugging is straightforward in Python programs.
• It has its own debugger written in Python itself, declaring to Python’s reflective power.
• Python includes a plethora of third-party components present in the Python Package Index (PyPI).

What is an IDE?

To understand ‘What is PyCharm?’ and ‘What is PyCharm used for?,’ we should first be able to answer the question, ‘What is an IDE?’

An IDE consists of an editor and a compiler that we use to write and compile programs. It has a combination of features required for developing software.

The presence of an IDE makes the development process and programming much easier. It interprets what we are typing and suggests the relevant keyword to insert. We can distinguish between a class and a method as the IDE allocates different colors to them. The IDE also gives different colors for the right and the wrong keywords. If we are writing a wrong keyword, it tries to predict the keyword that we intend to write and auto completes it.

Why should we use an IDE?

The major reasons for using an IDE for development are given below:

1. 1. An IDE consists of a text editor window where we can write our programs.
2. 2. It consists of a project editor window where we store all the necessary files of a software project.
3. 3. We can provide various inputs and check the efficiency of our program by inspecting the output we receive on the output window.
4. 4. If any error occurs, then the IDE shows warnings and suggestions on the output window so that we can resolve it.
5. 5. An IDE has a rack of modules and packages in one place that helps add features in our software applications.
6. 6. It helps increase efficiency in creating software.

What is PyCharm?

PyCharm is a hybrid-platform developed by JetBrains as an IDE for Python. It is commonly used for Python application development. Some of the unicorn organizations such as Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Pinterest use PyCharm as their Python IDE!

It supports two versions: v2.x and v3.x.

We can run PyCharm on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS. Additionally, it contains modules and packages that help programmers develop software using Python in less time and with minimal effort. Further, it can also be customized according to the requirements of developers.

Features of PyCharm: Why should we use it for our next Python project?

Below, we have compiled some of the essential features provided by PyCharm.

1. Intelligent Code Editor:

• It helps us write high-quality codes!
• It consists of color schemes for keywords, classes, and functions. This helps increase the readability and understanding of the code.
• It helps identify errors easily.
• It provides the autocomplete feature and instructions for the completion of the code.

2. Code Navigation:

1. 1. It helps developers in editing and enhancing the code with less effort and time.
2. 2. With code navigation, a developer can easily navigate to a function, class, or file.
3. 3. A programmer can locate an element, a symbol, or a variable in the source code within no time.
4. 4. Using the lens mode, further, a developer can thoroughly inspect and debug the entire source code.

3. Refactoring

• It has the advantage of making efficient and quick changes to both local and global variables.
• Refactoring in PyCharm enables developers to improve the internal structure without changing the external performance of the code.
• It also helps split up more extended classes and functions with the help of the extract method.

4. Assistance for Many Other Web Technologies:

1. 1. It helps developers create web applications in Python.
2. 2. It supports popular web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
3. 3. Developers have the choice of live editing with this IDE. At the same time, they can preview the created/updated web page.
4. 4. The developers can follow the changes directly on a web browser.
5. 5. PyCharm also supports AnglularJS and NodeJS for developing web applications.

5. Support for Popular Python Web Frameworks

• PyCharm supports web frameworks such as Django.
• It provides the autocomplete feature and suggestions for the parameters of Django.
• It helps in debugging the codes of Django.
• It also assist web2py and Pyramid, the other popular web frameworks.

6. Assistance for Python Scientific Libraries

1. 1. PyCharm supports Python’s scientific libraries such as Matplotlib, NumPy, and Anaconda.
2. 2. These scientific libraries help in building projects of Data Science and Machine Learning.
3. 3. It consists of interactive graphs that help developers understand data.
4. 4. It is capable of integrating with various tools such as IPython, Django, and Pytest. This integration helps innovate unique solutions.

Pros and Cons of Using PyCharm

PyCharm is a wonderful IDE for Python programmers and application developers. However, there are some pros and cons of using PyCharm. Let’s see.

Pros

• Installing PyCharm is very easy.
• is an IDE that is easy to use.
• There are a lot of useful plugins and productive shortcuts in PyCharm.
• It integrates library and IDE features such as auto-completing and coloring.
• It allows viewing of the source code in a click.
• Software development is much faster using PyCharm.
• The feature of error spotlighting in the code further enhances the development process.
• The community of Python Developers is extremely large so that we can resolve our queries/doubts easily.

Cons

1. 1. PyCharm is not free and its Professional version is pretty costly.
2. 2. It is not considered good for beginners due to its auto-complete feature.
3. 3. It may create trouble while fixing up tools such as venv.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using PyCharm

When it comes to Python development, PyCharm is a sure shot. Though it has a range of advantages, it doesn’t mean that the popular Python IDE is flawless. Therefore, before picking it up, ensure that you ultimately benefit from it. Here are the important feats and flaws of PyCharm to consider:

Advantages

1. 1. A plethora of productive shortcuts
2. 2. Ability to view the entire Python source code with a single click
3. 3. Availability of an array of plugins
4. 4. Easy-to-use
5. 5. Excellent community support
6. 6. Facilitates faster code development
7. 7. More powerful, commercial version available
8. 8. Straightforward installation process

Disadvantages

1. 1. Costly paid version
2. 2. May pose issues when trying to fixing tools like venv
3. 3. Not suitable for Python beginners
4. 4. Resource-intensive application, i.e., requires plenty of memory and storage space

Competitors of PyCharm

PyCharm is, obviously, not the only efficient Python IDE. There are several others. Each one of them is preferred over the rest by virtue of their respective abilities and features. Top competitors of PyCharm are:

• Cloud9 IDE
• Codenvy
• Eclipse + PyDev
• Komodo IDE
• The Jupyter Notebook
• Wind Python IDE

Conclusion

PyCharm is, undoubtedly, one of the most efficient and powerful IDEs for tackling Python development. The continuously rising popularity of Python ensures that the Python IDE will continue to be developed for the better over time and will attract new Python developers.