Atom and Getting Python Up and Running for Beginners
Introduction
If you are a newcomer in the field of programming and want to choose a very powerful and user-friendly text editor, then definitely try out Atom. Merged with Python-one of the most popular languages-you get a complete package to secure your coding requirements effectively. This tutorial walks you through the step-by-step process to set up Atom for Python development.
Why Choose Atom?
Atom is a free source code editor developed by GitHub. It is highly customizable and supports more than 50 programming languages while also having a large community developing its package library.
Atom Setup
Getting Atom: Open the Atom website in a browser and click on the appropriate installer based upon the operating system being used.
Installing Atom: Follow the Operating System-specific installation process.
Setting Up Python
Getting Python: Open the Python website and download the latest version.
Install Python: Open up the installer and make sure to select “Add Python to PATH.”
Setting Up Atom for Python
Install Script Package: Well, first things first, this will provide you with the ability to run Python scripts from within Atom. So head to File > Settings > Install and then search for the script, and install it.
Install Linter Packages: If you want code linting, go ahead and install linter, linter-flake8, and linter-ui-default.
Install Autocomplete Package: For efficiency in coding, go ahead and install autocomplete-python.
First Python Script
Create a new file in Atom by clicking File, then New File, and name it with a .py extension.
Write your Code: Start with a simple script that prints “Hello, World!”
Run your Script: Once you have written your code, you can run your script by using the Ctrl+Shift+B shortcut.
Final Verdicts
Now that you have installed Atom and Python, the world of programming is your oyster. Have fun with your newly learned coding skills!
Best Atom Packages for Python Development
Introduction
One of the strong points of Atom is its flexibility. You can shape and mold the editor to suit your needs by installing packages. Following are some of the best Atom packages for Python development.
Must-Have Packages
Script
Description: Run scripts straight from within Atom.
Install: Search for the script in the Install tab.
Linter
Description: A framework for linting your code.
Install: Search for linter and install it alongside linter-flake8 for Python.
Autocomplete-python
Description: Intelligent code completion.
Install: Search for autocomplete-python.
Minimap
Purpose: Allows you a sneak peek of your file.
Installation: search for minimap.
File-icons
Purpose: Assigns icons to files so it could be more visually differentiated.
Installation: search for file-icons.
Python-autopep8
Purpose: Auto formats Python code for you according to PEP 8.
Installation: search for python-autopep8.
Other Helpful Packages
Hydrogen
Purpose: Run code interactively in an Atom environment.
Installation: search for Hydrogen.
Platformio-ide-terminal
Purpose: Opens a terminal inside of Atom.
Installation: search for platformio-ide-terminal.
Final Verdicts
Using these, you can make Atom a great, Python-specific IDE. Play with various packages to have the configuration that fits you.
Atom Customization for Python Development
Introduction
One of the strongest powers of Atom is the ability to customize it. You can personalize the editor so that it suits your exact preference and needs. This is the customization that will make your process of development smooth and enjoyable.
Themes and UI Customization
Installing Themes: Atom has several inbuilt themes, but you can install more. Just open File → Settings → Install and then search for themes.
UI Customization: You can also change the UI settings to change the look and feel of Atom. Go to File → Settings → Themes and choose your theme.
Keybindings
Custom Keybindings: Atom lets you edit keybindings, thus making you work much faster. Go to File > Keymap and edit the keymap.cson file with your key bindings.
Snippets
Creating Snippets: Snippets are a lifetime savior for auto-completing commonly used code blocks. Go to File > Snippets and add your custom snippets in the snippet.cson file.
Packages
Custom Packages: Apart from the basic packages, you are at liberty to install other packages that are in line with your requirements. You can explore the Atom package repository to see packages that enrich your coding experience.
Final Verdicts
Atom, if customized, can do wonders for your performance and even simply for the joy of coding. One can always take some time and adjust settings to create a perfect development environment.
Debugging Your Python Code in Atom: Tricks and Tools
Introduction
Debugging is one of the most important activities in the development process. Atom has various tools and packages that will make this debugging of your Python code pretty efficient.
Using the Script Package
Running Scripts: The Script package runs your Python scripts inside the Atom environment. You can run your code and view results inside the editor by using the Ctrl+Shift+B shortcut.
Debugging Packages
Python Debugger (pdb)
Purpose: Atom comes bundled with Python’s default debugger. All you need to do is add import pdb; pdb.set_trace() in your code where you want to set a breakpoint.
Usage: Run your script, and the debugger will stop at that point, revealing all the current variables and steps.
Hydrogen
Purpose: Hydrogen allows you to execute your code in an interactive environment while simultaneously displaying output directly as it would appear. It can be helpful in cases where you want to debug shorter segments of your code.
Installation: Search for Hydrogen in the Install tab.
How to Effectively Debug
Use Print Statements: Many times print statements have been able to help you appreciate what’s going wrong in your code.
Break Down the Problem: Identify where the problem is happening in your code, and separate that part of your code and test it independently.
Read Error Messages: Pay adequate attention to error messages; most of the time, they tell something very useful about what might be wrong.
Final Verdicts
Debugging might appear to be a formidable process, but with the appropriate toolset and techniques, it becomes way more manageable. With packages and features in Atom, one can develop a fully-equipped environment to debug Python code.
Setting Up Your Data Science Environment
Install Python Libraries
Ensure you have installed all key data science libraries. You should be able to install Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, SciPy, and Scikit-learn via pip.
Configuration of Hydrogen
Configure Hydrogen to work with your Python environment. This allows running code cells and seeing outputs right in Atom.
Example Data Science Workflow
- Import Data and Clean Using Pandas
- Utilize Matplotlib and Seaborn for data visualization
- Build Machine-learning Models using Scikit-learn
- Document Results and Code using Markdown Preview Plus
Final Verdicts
Atom, coupled with its large ecosystem of packages, works perfectly for deploying data science projects. All put together, these features are responsible for bringing in efficiency and high productivity in this environment for all your data analysis and machine learning tasks.
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