Version 0.0.8 — A Python IDE for Students
Author: Danilo Tardioli · Universidad de Zaragoza
License: GPL-3.0 · Repository: https://github.com/dantard/coder
- Introduction
- System Requirements
- Installation
- Launching Spice
- Interface Overview
- Writing and Editing Code
- Running Programs
- Interactive Console
- PDF Viewer
- Code Formatting
- Terminal
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Troubleshooting
- Contributing
Spice is a lightweight, open-source Python IDE designed specifically for students in introductory and intermediate programming courses. Unlike full-featured professional IDEs, Spice focuses on the essentials: writing, running, and understanding Python code, without unnecessary complexity getting in the way.
Spice was developed at the Universidad de Zaragoza as a practical response to a common problem in teaching environments — existing tools are either too simple (basic text editors with no interactivity) or too complex (professional IDEs that overwhelm beginners with menus, panels, and configuration options). Spice occupies the middle ground: it is a real, capable IDE with an interactive console, automatic formatting, and an integrated PDF viewer, but it presents these features in a clear and approachable way.
This manual covers everything you need to install, configure, and use Spice effectively in a course or self-study context.
Before installing Spice, make sure your system meets the following requirements.
Operating System
Spice runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It has been tested on Ubuntu 20.04+, macOS 12+, and Windows 10/11.
Python
Python 3.10 or higher is required. You can check your Python version by running:
python3 --versionIf Python is not installed, download it from https://www.python.org/downloads/.
pip
pip (the Python package manager) is required for installation. It is included with all modern Python distributions. Verify it with:
pip3 --versionInstall Spice directly from PyPI using pip:
pip install spiceditorThis will automatically install all required dependencies:
pyqt5— graphical user interface frameworkpymupdf— PDF rendering engineautopep8— automatic PEP 8 code formatterscipy— scientific computing libraryqtconsole— interactive Python console widgettermqt— terminal widgeteasyconfig2— configuration managementpyshortcuts— desktop shortcut creation
If you prefer to install from the source repository:
git clone https://github.com/dantard/coder.git
cd coder
pip install .After installation, run the following command to create shortcuts in your operating system's application launcher or desktop:
spiceinstallThis is particularly useful in lab environments where students may not be comfortable using the terminal to launch applications each time.
There are three ways to open Spice after installation.
From the terminal:
spiceFrom a desktop shortcut:
If you ran spiceinstall, a shortcut will be available in your application menu or on your desktop depending on your operating system.
Opening a specific file:
spice myprogram.pyThe Spice interface is divided into several main areas:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Menu Bar │
├──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ Code Editor │ PDF Viewer │
│ │ (optional panel) │
│ │ │
├──────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────┤
│ Interactive Console │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Menu Bar — Access file operations, run controls, view options, and settings.
Code Editor — The main area where you write your Python programs. It provides syntax highlighting, line numbers, and automatic indentation.
Interactive Console — A live Python interpreter panel at the bottom of the window. You can type and evaluate Python expressions here at any time, independently of the file you are editing.
PDF Viewer — An optional side panel that renders PDF documents. Useful for consulting lab assignment sheets without leaving the IDE.
Go to File → New or press Ctrl+N. A blank editor tab will open.
Go to File → Open or press Ctrl+O. Navigate to your .py file and click Open.
- Save:
Ctrl+S - Save As:
Ctrl+Shift+S
Spice automatically applies color highlighting to Python syntax elements: keywords, strings, comments, function names, and numbers. This is always active and requires no configuration.
When you press Enter after a line ending with a colon (e.g., def, if, for, while, class), Spice automatically indents the next line by four spaces, following PEP 8 conventions.
Line numbers are displayed on the left margin of the editor. These are helpful when an error message refers to a specific line.
Press F5 or go to Run → Run to execute the currently open file. The output will appear in the console panel at the bottom of the screen.
If your program is running and you need to stop it (for example, if it is stuck in an infinite loop), press Ctrl+C in the console panel, or go to Run → Stop.
All print() statements and error messages appear in the console panel. Errors include a traceback showing which line caused the problem.
The interactive console at the bottom of the Spice window is a fully functional Python interpreter. You can use it to:
- Test small code snippets before adding them to your program
- Inspect the value of variables after running your script
- Import libraries and explore their functions
- Perform quick calculations
Example session:
>>> x = 10
>>> y = 3
>>> x / y
3.3333333333333335
>>> import math
>>> math.sqrt(2)
1.4142135623730951The console retains its state between commands during the same session. If you want to reset it (clear all variables and imports), restart the kernel from the console menu.
Spice includes a built-in PDF viewer panel, powered by PyMuPDF. This allows you to open and read PDF documents — such as lab assignment sheets or course notes — directly inside the IDE, without needing to switch to a separate application.
Go to View → Open PDF and select your file. The PDF will open in the side panel.
- Scroll through pages using the mouse wheel or the scroll bar.
- Use the navigation arrows at the top of the panel to jump between pages.
Drag the divider between the code editor and the PDF panel to adjust the relative sizes of each area.
Spice integrates autopep8 to automatically format your code according to PEP 8, the official Python style guide. This helps you develop good coding habits without needing to memorize all the style rules.
Go to Code → Format or press Ctrl+Shift+F. Spice will reformat your entire file: fixing indentation, spacing around operators, blank lines between functions, and other style issues.
- Incorrect indentation (e.g., 2-space or 3-space indent corrected to 4 spaces)
- Missing spaces around operators (
x=1→x = 1) - Excess blank lines
- Lines that are too long (wrapped where possible)
- Missing whitespace after commas
In addition to the interactive Python console, Spice provides access to a standalone terminal via the spiceterm command:
spicetermThis opens a terminal window integrated with the Spice environment. You can use it to run shell commands, navigate directories, install packages, or run scripts from the command line without leaving your workflow.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New file | Ctrl+N |
| Open file | Ctrl+O |
| Save | Ctrl+S |
| Save As | Ctrl+Shift+S |
| Run program | F5 |
| Stop execution | Ctrl+C |
| Format code | Ctrl+Shift+F |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z |
| Redo | Ctrl+Y |
| Find | Ctrl+F |
| Comment/Uncomment line | Ctrl+/ |
| Increase font size | Ctrl++ |
| Decrease font size | Ctrl+- |
Spice does not start after installation
Make sure Python 3.10+ is installed and that the spice command is in your system PATH. Try running pip show spiceditor to confirm the package is installed correctly.
PyQt5 errors on Linux
On some Linux distributions you may need to install additional system dependencies:
sudo apt install python3-pyqt5The console does not respond
Restart the console kernel from the console menu, or close and reopen Spice.
PDF file does not open
Ensure the file is not corrupted or password-protected. Spice's PDF viewer does not support encrypted PDFs.
Code formatting breaks my code
autopep8 only applies safe style changes and will not alter the logic of your program. If you believe a formatting change is incorrect, use Ctrl+Z to undo and report the issue at the repository.
Spice is open-source software released under the GPL-3.0 license. Contributions are welcome.
Repository: https://github.com/dantard/coder
Report bugs or request features: https://github.com/dantard/coder/issues
Author: Danilo Tardioli · dantard@unizar.es
To contribute code, fork the repository, create a branch with your changes, and open a pull request. Please ensure your code follows PEP 8 style conventions and includes appropriate comments.
Spice v0.0.8 — Universidad de Zaragoza — GPL-3.0