Command line usage
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-.. code-block:: none
+.. program:: idle
- idle.py [-c command] [-d] [-e] [-h] [-i] [-r file] [-s] [-t title] [-] [arg] ...
+IDLE can be invoked from the command line with various options. The general syntax is:
- -c command run command in the shell window
- -d enable debugger and open shell window
- -e open editor window
- -h print help message with legal combinations and exit
- -i open shell window
- -r file run file in shell window
- -s run $IDLESTARTUP or $PYTHONSTARTUP first, in shell window
- -t title set title of shell window
- - run stdin in shell (- must be last option before args)
+.. code-block:: bash
-If there are arguments:
+ python -m idlelib [options] [file ...]
-* If ``-``, ``-c``, or ``r`` is used, all arguments are placed in
- ``sys.argv[1:...]`` and ``sys.argv[0]`` is set to ``''``, ``'-c'``,
- or ``'-r'``. No editor window is opened, even if that is the default
- set in the Options dialog.
+The following options are available:
+
+.. option:: -c <command>
+
+ Run the specified Python command in the shell window.
+ For example, pass ``-c "print('Hello, World!')"``.
+ On Windows, the outer quotes must be double quotes as shown.
+
+.. option:: -d
+
+ Enable the debugger and open the shell window.
+
+.. option:: -e
+
+ Open an editor window.
+
+.. option:: -h
+
+ Print a help message with legal combinations of options and exit.
+
+.. option:: -i
+
+ Open a shell window.
+
+.. option:: -r <file>
+
+ Run the specified file in the shell window.
+
+.. option:: -s
+
+ Run the startup file (as defined by the environment variables :envvar:`IDLESTARTUP` or :envvar:`PYTHONSTARTUP`) before opening the shell window.
+
+.. option:: -t <title>
+
+ Set the title of the shell window.
+
+.. option:: -
+
+ Read and execute standard input in the shell window. This option must be the last one before any arguments.
+
+If arguments are provided:
+
+- If ``-``, ``-c``, or ``-r`` is used, all arguments are placed in ``sys.argv[1:]``,
+ and ``sys.argv[0]`` is set to ``''``, ``'-c'``, or ``'-r'`` respectively.
+ No editor window is opened, even if that is the default set in the *Options* dialog.
+- Otherwise, arguments are treated as files to be opened for editing, and ``sys.argv`` reflects the arguments passed to IDLE itself.
-* Otherwise, arguments are files opened for editing and
- ``sys.argv`` reflects the arguments passed to IDLE itself.
Startup failure
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^