README

Better Python Console Plugin for Gedit 3
========================================

This program is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL) 
version 2 or later, see the file 'COPYING' for more exciting information.

General Information
===================

The Better Python Console Plugin aims to provide a simple IDLE-like Python 
console for the Gnome Editor. Unlike IDLE, you can open as many consoles 
as you need. 

To execute your current Python file, hit F5 or choose the option from the 
'Tools' menu. The console interface has the following shortcuts:

Ctrl-D : close the current window
Ctrl-A : go to line start
Ctrl-E : go to line end
Ctrl-K : clear line from cursor to end
Ctrl-L : clear window 
Cursor Up/Down : scroll command history

Requirements
============

This program is a plugin for Gedit 3.

User Installation
================= 

To make the plugin only available to one specific user, extract the files 
to your username's gedit plugin directory, 
for example: ~/.local/share/gedit/plugins/

You must then turn it on through Edit > Preferences > Plugins

Technical Description
=====================

The Python Console plugin distributed by default with gedit is primarily 
designed to help you access the gedit API, for example, to write gedit 
plugins or to run a Python command on a document. However, if you attempt to 
develop a Python program of any complexity then you will find yourself 
crashing gedit very quickly indeed.

This plugin takes a different approach, instead of providing access to the 
gedit API, it keeps away from it as far as possible, reducing the risk to the
running editor. It aims to follow the approach of the IDLE interpreter - the
Console Window runs as a separate process. A small (minute) performance 
penalty is better than watching gedit lockup and lose your work.