Quick Start Guide

1. The Guest Session

When you first load Python Online, you are immediately dropped into a Guest Session. This is not a "demo" mode; it is a fully functional, isolated development environment.

Your session is pre-seeded with a default project containing a src/main.py file. You can start typing immediately.

2. Creating & Managing Projects

Once you sign in, you gain access to the Project Dashboard. Python Online organizes your work into distinct, isolated Projects. Each project has its own:

• Virtual File System: Isolated files and folders.
• Package Environment: Separate packages and dependencies.
• Configuration: Distinct settings for deployment.

To create a new project:

1. Click the Project Name in the top left corner (next to the Python logo) to open the Dashboard.
2. Navigate to the Projects tab.
3. Click the + (New Project) button.
4. Give your project a name (e.g., "Data Analysis").

You can switch between projects instantly. The platform automatically saves the state of your current project (including open tabs and layout) before loading the new one.

3. Quick Tour of the Interface

The interface is divided into three primary zones designed for efficiency.

A. The Sidebar

Located on the left, this accordion-style panel is your navigation hub:

• Explorer: A standard file tree. Right-click anywhere to create files, folders, or rename items. Drag and drop files to move them.
• Search: A powerful regex-capable search engine that scans your entire project content, not just filenames.
• Packages: The interface for PyPI. Search for libraries and install them with one click.
• Settings: Customize the editor's appearance (font size, theme ligatures, etc.) and behavior (auto-save, linting rules, etc.).

B. The Editor (The Stage)

The center area is your coding canvas. It supports a multi-tabbed interface with split-screen capabilities. You can drag a tab to the right, left, top, or bottom edge of the screen to create split panes.

The editor is powered by Monaco, providing industry-standard features:

• IntelliSense: Smart autocomplete based on your code and installed packages.
• Hover Docs: Mouse over any function to see its signature and documentation string.
• Real-time Linting: Powered by Ruff, errors are underlined in red and style warnings in yellow.

C. The Utility Panels

Python Online treats tools like the Output Console, REPL, and Terminal as tabs, just like your files. This means you can dock them anywhere in your layout.

To open a tool, you can right-click the "New Tab" (+) button in the header of any pane.

• Output: Displays the results of your scripts print() statements and visualizations.
• REPL: An interactive Python shell for testing single lines of code.
• Terminal (Pro): A full Linux Bash shell for advanced file operations and git commands.
• Problems: Displays syntax errors and linter warnings found in your code.

4. Writing & Running Your First Script

Let's write a simple program that demonstrates the platform's ability to handle user input and basic logic.

1. In the Explorer, create a file named hello.py (or use the default main.py).
2. Paste the following code:

# Welcome message
print("👋 Hello!\nWelcome to Python Online!\n")

# Ask for the user's name
name = input("What's your name? ")

# Show the output
print(f"Nice to meet you, {name}!\n")

# Ask for two numbers
num1 = input("Enter a number: ")
num2 = input("Enter another number: ")

# Calculate their sum
sum_result = int(num1) + int(num2)

# Show the output
print(f"The sum of {num1} and {num2} is {sum_result}.")

# Fun ending
print("\n🎉 Congratulations!\nYou've run your first Python program!")

3. Click the green Run button in the header (or press Ctrl + Enter).

What happens next?

1. The Output Panel will open automatically, if it's not already there.
2. You'll see a friendly welcome message printed immediately in the console.
3. The script will pause at the first input() prompt asking for your name.
4. After you enter your name and press Enter, the program responds with a personalized greeting.
5. The script then pauses two more times to ask for numbers. Enter each number and press Enter after each prompt.
6. The IDE sends your input securely to the server, where Python converts the values from raw text to integers, calculates their sum, and prints the result.
7. Finally, you'll see a celebratory message confirming that you've successfully run your first Python program.

5. Saving & Auto-Save

By default, Python Online has Auto-Save enabled. Every time you stop typing for a few seconds, your code is synced to our secure cloud.

If you prefer manual control, you can disable Auto-Save in the Settings. When a file has unsaved changes, the "Close" (x) icon on its tab turns into a solid circle (●). The IDE will prevent you from accidentally closing a dirty tab without confirmation.

6. Intelligent Recovery

If you start working as a Guest, then decide to create an account, you don't need to manually export and import your files.

When you click "Sign In" and register, the IDE detects your active Guest session. It automatically bundles your temporary files and uploads them to your new account. You can pick up exactly where you left off, now with persistent cloud storage.