PyCharm

- Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Essential Navigation

  • Search Everywhere
    Shift + Shift (Win/Linux) | Shift + Shift (Mac)
  • Go to File
    Ctrl + Shift + N | Cmd + Shift + O
  • Go to Class
    Ctrl + N | Cmd + O
  • Go to Symbol
    Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N | Cmd + Alt + O
  • Recent Files
    Ctrl + E | Cmd + E

 

  • Code Editing

  • Basic Code Completion
    Ctrl + Space | Ctrl + Space
  • Smart Completion
    Ctrl + Shift + Space | Ctrl + Shift + Space
  • Show Intentions (quick fixes)
    Alt + Enter | Option + Enter
  • Reformat Code
    Ctrl + Alt + L | Cmd + Option + L
  • Duplicate Line
    Ctrl + D | Cmd + D
  • Delete Line
    Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Delete

 

  • Refactoring

  • Rename
    Shift + F6 | Shift + F6
  • Extract Method
    Ctrl + Alt + M | Cmd + Option + M
  • Extract Variable
    Ctrl + Alt + V | Cmd + Option + V
  • Inline
    Ctrl + Alt + N | Cmd + Option + N

 

  • Running & Debugging

  • Run
    Shift + F10 | Ctrl + R
  • Debug
    Shift + F9 | Ctrl + D
  • Toggle Breakpoint
    Ctrl + F8 | Cmd + F8
  • Step Over
    F8 | F8
  • Step Into
    F7 | F7

 

  • Search & Replace

  • Find
    Ctrl + F | Cmd + F
  • Replace
    Ctrl + R | Cmd + R
  • Find in Path
    Ctrl + Shift + F | Cmd + Shift + F

 

  • Version Control (Git)

  • Commit Changes
    Ctrl + K | Cmd + K
  • Update Project (Pull)
    Ctrl + T | Cmd + T
  • Push Changes
    Ctrl + Shift + K | Cmd + Shift + K

 

  • General Productivity

  • Open Settings/Preferences
    Ctrl + Alt + S | Cmd + ,
  • Quick Documentation
    Ctrl + Q | F1
  • Hide All Tool Windows
    Ctrl + Shift + F12 | Cmd + Shift + F12
  • Terminal
    Alt + F12 | Option + F12

- Installation

Step 1: Download PyCharm

  1. Go to the official website: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/
  2. Click Download
  3. Choose your version:
    • Community (Free) best for most users
    • Professional (Paid) for web/data science features

Step 2: Install PyCharm

Windows

  1. Open the downloaded .exe file
  2. Click Next
  3. Choose install location (default is fine)
  4. Select options:
    • ✔ Add “Open Folder as Project” (recommended)
    • ✔ Add shortcut (optional)
  5. Click Install
  6. Click Finish and launch PyCharm

macOS

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file
  2. Drag PyCharm into the Applications folder
  3. Open it from Applications
  4. Click Open if prompted

Linux

  1. Download the .tar.gz file
  2. Extract it:
  • tar -xzf pycharm-*.tar.gz
  • Navigate to the folder:
  • cd pycharm-*/bin
  • Run ./pycharm.sh

Step 3: First-Time Setup

When you open PyCharm for the first time:

  1. Choose UI theme (Dark or Light)
  2. Install plugins (optional)
    • You can skip for now
  3. Configure Python interpreter:
    • Click New Project
    • Choose:
      • Virtualenv (recommended) OR
      • Existing Python installation

- Plugins

Productivity & Navigation

  • Key Promoter X
    - Teaches you keyboard shortcuts as you work
  • CodeGlance
    - Adds a minimap of your code for quick navigation
  • String Manipulation
    - Powerful text editing (case change, sorting, etc.)

These are great for speeding up everyday coding workflows

Code Readability & UI

  • Rainbow Brackets
    - Color-coded brackets (super helpful for nested code)
  • Indent Rainbow
    - Highlights indentation levels
  • Highlight Bracket Pair
    - Makes matching brackets easy to see

These improve readability and reduce mistakes in complex code

Development Tools

  • GitToolBox
    - Enhances Git integration (blame, history, etc.)
  • Docker
    - Manage containers directly in PyCharm
  • .env Files Support
    - Better handling of environment variables

Useful for real-world projects and team workflows

Quick Reminder: How to Install Plugins

  • Go to Settings → Plugins → Marketplace
  • Search → Click Install
  • Restart PyCharm

- Working With A Project

Create Your First Project:

  1. Click New Project
  2. Choose location
  3. Select Python interpreter
  4. Click Create

Run Your First Script:

  1. Right-click project folder → New → Python File
  2. Name it main.py
  3. Add:
  • print("Hello, PyCharm!")
  • Right-click file → Run