Installing Eric4 IDE

[pmennen]

The Eric4 IDE

I've been using IDLE under the latest Enthought release (python 2.7) running windows XP (and windows 7 on another computer). But I decided I wanted to use a real IDE with the goal of writing GUI applications. It seemed like Eric4 would be a reasonable choice.

I have found MANY different directions for installing Eric4 but the problem is no two such directions are even remotely similar. Some are even wildly different so I'm getting confused.

So far what I have done is this:

1.) I went to http://riverbankcomputing.com/software/pyqt/download
and downloaded and executed the file PyQt-Py2.7-x86-gpl-4.8.4-1.exe

I haven't yet run any build or installation programs. I'm not sure what to do next. The only directions on this page is as follows:

"Before you can build PyQt you must have already built and installed SIP"

Does that mean I have already jumped the gun? Do I have to uninstall PyQt, install SIP, and then Re-install PyQt? I've read some installation guides that seem to suggest this. On the other hand, in my Python\Lib\site-packages folder I see a sipconfig.py as well as a sip\PyQt4 folder which has all sorts of stuff in it. Also there is a sip.exe file in the main PyQt4 folder. Does this mean I already have SIP loaded? If so, do I have to build it, and how do I do that? Then do I have to build PyQt4 and if so, how do I do that? After that, I'm hoping installing the actual Eric4 code might be the easy part?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
~Paul

[vegaseat]

You already have the Windows binary self-installer, so it should work right out of the box.

Simply run one of the example programs from DaniWeb:
http://www.daniweb.com/software-development/python/threads/191210/1525722#post1525722
or something that came with the installation, like:
C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages\PyQt4\examples\demos\textedit\textedit.pyw

The qscintilla2.dll is also already installed.

Download your Eric4 (Eric5 if you have Python32) zipped file and unzip it. Run install.py from something like IDLE, Eric4 should install into your Python27 folder. It will be in the Lib\site-packages folder. It leaves a batch file in the Python27 folder. You use eric4.bat to get going.

Since I have Python32, I downloaded eric5-5.1.3.zip from
http://eric-ide.python-projects.org/eric-download.html
Installed it on my Windows7 machine. I am impressed. Eric does not have the input() problem like Editra has.

I real nimble Python editor for Windows is PyScripter. It is written in Delphi and you simply download the .exe file.
If you have several version of Python intalled, it might have problems choosing.

[pmennen]

Wow, you are right ... PyQt4 just runs! I didn't think to try it since it says right there above the file download link that it won't work until you install and build SIP first. I don't understand why they would say this. Probably to scare away the newbees like me :) Also, many thanks for the eric4 install tip. I did try it from IDLE as you suggested and it worked first time. OK, now I think perhaps even an idiot could install this stuff. (too bad I had seen all those complicated instructions). Anyway ... many thanks!

~Paul

[vegaseat]

Most of the time when they talk about build it means build from source code. OS specific binary installer files take care of that for you.

Enjoy exploring Python, a powerful language that can be a fun.