IDE Overview¶

The XPyCode IDE is a full-featured development environment built specifically for Python-in-Excel workflows. It provides everything you need to write, debug, and manage Python code within your Excel workbooks.

Main Window Layout¶

The IDE uses a flexible dock-based layout with these main components:

IDE Main Layout — XPyCode IDE main window with all panels visible

The left side houses on panel:

Project Explorer - Navigate workbooks, sheets, and modules

Right Dock: Utilities¶

The right side houses multiple tabbed panels:

Functions - Publish Python functions to Excel
Packages - Install and manage Python packages
Events - Configure Excel event handlers
Objects - View and manage Python objects in memory

Center: Code Editor¶

The central area displays:

Welcome Tab - Quick start guide and recent files
Monaco Editor Tabs - One tab per open Python module
Powered by Microsoft's Monaco Editor (same as VS Code)
Full syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, and diagnostics

Bottom Dock: Console and Debug¶

The bottom section contains:

Console - Output, errors, and execution logs
Debug Panel - Variables, call stack, watch expressions, and debug console (visible during debugging)

File - Settings, exit
Run - Run functions
Debug - Start debugging, step controls, breakpoint management
View - Views setup
Advanced - Advanced functions (Restart Kernel, ...)
Help - About, documentation links

Key Features¶

1. Workbook-Centric Organization¶

Each Excel workbook has its own:

Python kernel (isolated execution environment)
Set of Python modules
Package installation
Published functions and events
Objects keeper (save and reuse python objects)

This prevents conflicts between different Excel projects and allows each workbook to have different dependencies.

2. Auto-Save¶

XPyCode automatically saves your code changes with no action required from you, except saving the Excel workbook itself.

Auto-Save Behavior

Changes are saved to the kernel for immediate use and also saved immediately in Excel. Your code will be persisted when you save the workbook.

3. Smart Code Execution¶

The IDE intelligently determines which function to run based on your cursor position:

If the cursor is within a function definition, that function is executed
If not, a warning is displayed in the console

Mandatory Arguments

If the selected function has mandatory arguments, an error will be raised. Ensure all required parameters are provided or use default values.

4. Integrated Debugging¶

Full debugging support with:

Breakpoints (F9 to toggle)
Step over (F10), step into (F11), step out (Shift+F11)
Variable inspection
Watch expressions
Call stack navigation

5. Real-Time Feedback¶

As you type, you get:

Syntax errors - Underlined in red
Warnings - Underlined in yellow
Code completion - Suggests functions, variables, methods
Hover information - Shows documentation and type info
Signature help - Parameter hints for functions

Themes and Appearance¶

XPyCode supports full theming:

IDE Themes¶

XPC Dark (default) - Dark theme optimized for long coding sessions
XPC Light - Light theme for bright environments
Midnight blue - Dark theme using dark blue instead of black
High Contrast - Maximum contrast for accessibility

Editor Themes¶

VS Dark - Visual Studio Code dark theme
VS Light - Visual Studio Code light theme
High Contrast Black - Maximum contrast for accessibility
High Contrast Light - Light high contrast theme
XPC Midnight blue - Dark theme using dark blue instead of black

Change themes in File → Settings → View → Themes & Appearance.

Theme Settings — Theme selection in Settings dialog

Window Management¶

Dock Panels¶

All panels can be:

Resized - Drag the splitters between panels
Closed - Click the X button (reopen from View menu)
Moved - Drag the title bar to dock elsewhere
Floated - Undock to create floating windows
Tabbed - Combine multiple panels in one dock area

Tab Management¶

Editor tabs support:

Multiple files open - Switch between modules with Ctrl+Tab

Quick Actions¶

The toolbar provides one-click access to common operations:

Icon	Action	Shortcut	Description
▶️	Run	`F5` / `Ctrl`+`R`	Execute current code
🐛	Debug	`Shift`+`F5`	Start debugging

Project Structure¶

XPyCode organizes code hierarchically:

 📗 WorkbookName.xlsx
  ├── 🐍 module1.
  ├── 🐍 module2.
  └── 🐍 helpers.

Workbooks - Top-level items (one per open Excel file)
Modules - Python in-memory modules containing your code

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Essential shortcuts for efficient coding:

Action	Shortcut
Run code	`F5` or `Ctrl`+`R`
Debug code	`Shift`+`F5`
Toggle breakpoint	`F9`
Step over	`F10`
Step into	`F11`
Step out	`Shift`+`F11`
Continue	`Shift`+`F5`
Find	`Ctrl`+`F`
Replace	`Ctrl`+`H`
Go to line	`Ctrl`+`G`

See the complete Keyboard Shortcuts Reference for all shortcuts.

Extensions and Integrations¶

Language Server Protocol¶

XPyCode includes a Python Language Server for:

Real-time linting with pyflakes
Advanced code completion with Jedi
Go to definition
Find references
Symbol search

Monaco Editor¶

The code editor is powered by Monaco Editor (from VS Code):

Multi-cursor editing
Column selection
Rich IntelliSense
Bracket matching
Code folding
Minimap (optional)

Performance Tips¶

For Large Modules¶

Use code folding to collapse functions
Disable minimap if it slows rendering: Settings → Editor → Minimap
Split large modules into smaller, focused files

For Many Workbooks¶

Close workbooks you're not actively using
Each workbook has its own kernel, which uses memory
The IDE shows only open workbooks

Next Steps¶

Explore each IDE component in detail:

Code Editor

Deep dive into Monaco Editor features and capabilities.

Editor Guide
Project Explorer

Learn to navigate and organize your Python modules.

Project Explorer
Console

Understanding console output and log filtering.

Console Guide
Debugging

Master the debugger with breakpoints and inspection.

Debugging Guide

Need Help?

If you encounter issues, check the Troubleshooting Guide or consult the specific component guides above.