i cant find the idle thing which is shown in my pdf file with the basic python coding
I’ve found that the most guaranteed way to launch the IDLE across platforms is with python -m idle through the command line (or py -m idle if installed via the Windows store), assuming Python is installed correctly. If that doesn’t work, what operating system are you using and through what means did you install Python?
Also, I’d suggest for this post to be moved to the “Users” category, as this is off-topic for “Ask the staff” (I don’t seem to have permissions to relocate posts from this specific category).
it is not working and i am using windows 10 pro 64x (i guess)
Your subject line says you can’t find IDLE. Where have you looked?
Your description says “it is not working”, so I guess that means you
have found IDLE. What do you mean, it is not working?
Kyle suggested two different commands to try from the command line. Have
you tried them both? What happens when you try? Do you get an error
message? Does the computer catch fire? Something else?
We cannot help you if we have to guess what is happening. If you keep
making vague comments about “not working”, we probably will not be able
to help.
Have you tried typing IDLE into the Start Menu to see if Windows
auto-suggest can find it? Do you have an IDLE icon on the desktop?
@aeros, I think you mean
python -m idlelib
and on many Unix platforms, if you are not using a virtual environment, that should be:
python3 -m idlelib
2 Likes
Oops, yeah I meant idlelib, not idle. Thanks for the correction Ned; I typically launch IDLE from using idle in my terminal emulator through a /usr/bin script so I got the two mixed up.
Thanks for clarifying the operating system, but that doesn’t answer the other important part:
In the meantime, I would recommend trying the following:
python -m idlelib
python3 -m idlelib
py -m idlelib
py3 -m idlelib
If none of the above work, please clarify on the specific error message you received. We can help to troubleshoot from there, but as Steven was saying, there’s not much we can do with “it is not working”. 
I found it in the start menu but when i clicked it nothing happend. Nothing appeared on screen.
Am i doing something wrong?
Well, i installed python using the official website… I guess there is nothing wrong i have done…
It says invalid syntax… So that means there is something wrong here…
I tried those things, same result, Syntax error, invalid syntax…
@Bowsertime28 What happens when you try to add --version at the end of the above commands? I.E. python --version or py --version? If those all result in a syntax error, it likely means you didn’t add Python to your environment path during installation. Here are the easiest ways to do so:
If you try to reinstall Python (using the executable installer from the website), you should see the following screen:
At the bottom, tick the checkbox next to “Add Python 3.8 to PATH” and proceed with the installation; that should fix the issue with it not launching from the command line.
Otherwise, a more simple solution would be to install Python from the Windows store. That’s typically the easiest way to install it on Windows, and what I recommend to most users (especially beginners).
We also have a dedicated page in the documentation for installation and general usage tips for Python on Windows. See https://docs.python.org/3/using/windows.html. If the none of the above steps work, I would recommend checking that out.
You don’t have to install it through the Windows store and uninstall the old one, but that is one potential solution (and likely the easiest one). It’s up to you.
If you’re just asking if the above is the correct application to install from the Windows store: yes it is. After installation, you should be able to launch the IDLE via one of the above commands, such as python -m idlelib (I don’t remember off the top of my head which one the Windows store version uses, as I don’t regularly use Windows these days) or from pressing the windows key and searching “idle”. IIRC, installing it from the Windows store adds a specific launcher for IDLE.
Hopefully that helps.
It finaly works! Thanks for the help!
Also, no, the computer does not catch fire, it is not this old .
No problem, and have fun with your Python endeavors! If you encounter any other issues and can’t find a solution in the official docs or other resources, feel free to ask in Python Help or the “python-list” mailing list [1]. There are also many other great beginner-friendly Python communities out there that would be glad to provide some guidance.
[1] - See https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list for more info. The “python-help” ML is also another great resource: https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-help.
On my Windows 10 computer, idlelib is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Python38-32\Lib\idlelib.
type
C:\Users%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\idlelib\idle.pyw
in cmd to open IDLE editor.