How To Change Your Default Editor in IPython

In the world of data science and programming, IPython is a widely used interactive command-line terminal for Python. It offers enhanced readability and functionality, which makes coding a more streamlined process. One of the features of IPython is its ability to integrate with text editors. This article will guide you on how to change your default editor in IPython.

Understanding the Default Editor in IPython

Before we delve into the process of changing the default editor, it’s crucial to understand what the default editor is. When you use the %edit command in IPython, it opens a text editor where you can write or modify your code. The default editor for IPython is determined by the $EDITOR environment variable. If this variable is not set, IPython defaults to vi on Linux/Unix systems and notepad on Windows systems.

Checking the Current Default Editor

To check your current default editor, you can use the echo command followed by the $EDITOR variable:

echo $EDITOR

This command will display the path to the current default editor, such as /usr/bin/nano. If nothing is displayed, it means the $EDITOR variable is not set.

Changing the Default Editor for the Current Session

If you want to change the default editor for the current terminal session only, you can use the export command:

export EDITOR="/usr/bin/nano"

In this command, export is a bash built-in function that sets the environment variable (EDITOR in our case). The "/usr/bin/nano" is the path to the new default editor. This will change the default editor to nano for the current terminal session.

Changing the Default Editor Permanently

To permanently change the default editor, you need to set the $EDITOR environment variable in a system configuration file. The most common file for this purpose is ~/.profile or ~/.bashrc.

Here are the steps to do this:

1. Open the ~/.profile file (or ~/.bashrc if you prefer) with a text editor.

nano ~/.profile

2. Add the following line to the file:

export EDITOR=nano

3. Save the file and exit. In nano, you can do this by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter.
4. Apply the changes by sourcing the ~/.profile (or ~/.bashrc) file:

source ~/.profile

Now, the default editor for IPython will be nano.

Remember, .bashrc should be used for Bash-specific settings, while .profile should be used for setting environment variables like EDITOR.

Conclusion

Changing the default editor in IPython can make your coding experience more comfortable, especially if you’re more familiar with a particular text editor. This guide has shown you how to change the default editor both for the current session and permanently. Remember to replace nano with the text editor of your choice and its correct path. Happy coding!