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iPython VS Eric

Compare iPython VS Eric and see what are their differences

iPython logo iPython

iPython provides a rich toolkit to help you make the most out of using Python interactively.

Eric logo Eric

eric - The Python IDE
  • iPython Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-07
  • Eric Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-16

iPython features and specs

  • Interactive Computing
    IPython provides a rich toolkit to help you make the most out of using Python interactively. This includes powerful introspection, rich media display, session logging, and more.
  • Ease of Use
    IPython includes features like syntax highlighting, tab completion, and easy access to the help system, which make writing and understanding code easier for users.
  • Rich Display System
    It supports rich media like images, videos, LaTeX, and HTML, making it very useful for data visualization and educational purposes.
  • Extensibility
    IPython is highly extensible and can be customized with a range of plugins, extensions, and different backends to suit various needs.
  • Enhanced Debugging
    It features enhanced debugging capabilities, including an improved traceback support and better handling of exceptions.

Possible disadvantages of iPython

  • Learning Curve
    For beginners, the extensive feature set of IPython may be overwhelming and have a steep learning curve.
  • Resource Intensive
    IPython, particularly Jupyter notebooks, can be resource-intensive, leading to slow performance on large datasets or complex computations.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies can be challenging, especially when using multiple packages in the same environment, which can lead to conflicts.
  • Limited IDE Features
    While IPython has many interactive features, it lacks some of the more advanced IDE features such as comprehensive code refactoring tools and integrated version control.
  • Exporting and Sharing
    Although you can export notebooks in various formats, sharing them in a way that preserves full interactivity can be complex compared to traditional scripts.

Eric features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    Eric provides a comprehensive IDE experience tailored for Python development, which includes features like code highlighting, debugging, and project management.
  • Plugin System
    Eric offers a flexible plugin system that allows developers to extend the IDE's functionality, making it adaptable to a variety of programming needs and preferences.
  • Version Control Support
    The IDE has built-in support for version control systems like Git and Mercurial, enabling seamless integration with source control repositories.
  • Cross-Platform
    Eric is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring a consistent development experience regardless of the operating system.
  • Free and Open Source
    Eric is released under the GPL license, making it free to use and modify, which can be a significant advantage for both individuals and organizations with budget constraints.

Possible disadvantages of Eric

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features, new users might find Eric complex and overwhelming, necessitating a learning period to become proficient.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report that Eric can become sluggish, particularly with larger projects, which can impede productivity compared to more lightweight IDEs.
  • Visual Design
    The user interface of Eric is often criticized for being outdated or not as visually appealing as other modern IDEs, potentially affecting user experience.
  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to more popular IDEs, Eric has a smaller user base and community, which might result in fewer resources and third-party plugins available.

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Eric videos

KING ERIC 2.0?! 87 FUT BIRTHDAY BAILLY PLAYER REVIEW! FIFA 21 Ultimate Team

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to iPython and Eric)
Python IDE
86 86%
14% 14
Text Editors
71 71%
29% 29
IDE
73 73%
27% 27
Development
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, iPython should be more popular than Eric. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

iPython mentions (19)

  • Modern Python REPL in Emacs using VTerm
    As alluded to in Poetry2Nix Development Flake with Matplotlib GTK Support, I’m currently in the process of getting my “new” python workflow up to speed. My second problem, after dependency and environment management, was that fancy REPLs like ipython or ptpython don’t jazz well with the standard comint based inferior python repl that comes with python-mode. One can basically only run ipython with the... - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Wanting to learn how to code, but completely lost.
    Third, if possible use a command line interpreter to test things out. I recommend ipython for this purpose. You can use your browser's developer console this way if you are learning Javascript. Source: about 2 years ago
  • IJulia: The Julia Notebook
    IJulia is an interactive notebook environment powered by the Julia programming language. Its backend is integrated with that of the Jupyter environment. The interface is web-based, similar to the iPython notebook. It is open-source and cross-platform. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • How to "end" a loop in the REPL?
    Also, take a look at installing iPthon to give you a much richer shell environment. This underpins Jupyter Notebooks, so is well known, proven and trusted. Source: about 2 years ago
  • State of Object Oriented Shells for *nix
    I know this isn't quite what you're asking for, but IPython (https://ipython.org/) is very capable as a Python + bash (or other) shell, as it allows you to easily integrate the system shell into the interactive environment. Although they now recommend Xonsh (https://xon.sh/) for such purposes. Source: about 2 years ago
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Eric mentions (3)

  • what is your favorite IDE for CircuitPython?
    There's VSCodium if you want a little more of an OSS experience. ERIC4 https://eric-ide.python-projects.org/ is maybe the closest pythonic IDE I've seen and is worth a look, though I've never tried CircuitPython with it. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Scintilla is a free source code editing component with a permissive license
    Https://eric-ide.python-projects.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Python IDEs and code editors compilation
    This is a cross-platform IDE written in Python. Eric has a powerful debugger that debugs multithreaded and multiprocessor programs. There is support for unit testing, a built-in hex editor, an SQL browser, an icon designer, and many other tools. Thanks to the built-in Qt supports the creation of graphical interfaces using Qt Designer. - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing iPython and Eric, you can also consider the following products

PyCharm - Python & Django IDE with intelligent code completion, on-the-fly error checking, quick-fixes, and much more...

Jupyter - Project Jupyter exists to develop open-source software, open-standards, and services for interactive computing across dozens of programming languages. Ready to get started? Try it in your browser Install the Notebook.

IDLE - Default IDE which come installed with the Python programming language.

Spyder - The Scientific Python Development Environment

PyScripter - PyScripter is a free and open-source Python Integrated Development Environment (IDE) created with...

Thonny - Python IDE for beginners