In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to open Python Idle from the command line. Python Idle is an Integrated Development Environment for Python, which allows you to run Python code and create Python programs.

Running Python Idle from the command line can be handy, especially when working on servers or in environments where a graphical user interface is not available.

Step 1: Checking Python Installation

Before we begin, it’s important to ensure that Python is properly installed on your machine. You can confirm this by typing the below command in your terminal:

This command should display the Python version installed on your computer. If you’ve Python installed, you can proceed to the next step. If not, please download and install Python before proceeding.

Step 2: Locating Python IDLE

With Python properly installed, we need to locate Python Idle. It is typically installed in the Python installation folder. On most UNIX and Linux systems, it’s often located in the bin directory within the Python installation directory. On Windows, it’s commonly found in the Scripts subdirectory of the Python installation directory.

Step 3: Opening Python IDLE from the Command Line

To open Python IDLE from the command line, you just need to type idle (on UNIX/Linux) or idle.bat (on Windows) followed by an optional filename. This is shown in the command below:

This command will open myfile.py in Python Idle. If the file does not exist, Python Idle will create it for you.

Full Code

The commands used in this tutorial are:

Conclusion

Now, you know how to open Python Idle from the command line. Opening IDLE from the command line is quite straightforward once you’ve located IDLE on your computer system. It might be useful to create an alias or a shortcut for opening IDLE if you plan on using it frequently. Happy Python coding!