Glossary for PyCharm IDE
Here’s a comprehensive glossary for PyCharm IDE — tailored for your open-source Django + Raspberry Pi 5 development environment.
Use this as your quick-reference guide.
IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
A complete software suite that combines a code editor, debugger, terminal, version control, and project tools — PyCharm is JetBrains’ IDE built for Python and Django.
Project
The top-level folder containing all your source code, settings, virtual environments, and configuration files (.idea folder).
Interpreter
The Python runtime PyCharm uses to execute code. It can point to a system Python, virtual env, or remote interpreter on your Raspberry Pi via SSH.
Virtual Environment (venv)
An isolated Python environment where dependencies are installed without affecting your global system packages.
SDK
PyCharm’s Software Development Kit reference to the Python interpreter and libraries used for the project.
Editor Pane
Main area where you write Python, HTML, CSS, and Django templates.
Project Tool Window
The left-hand tree listing all files and folders in your project.
Navigation Bar
Compact horizontal bar for quickly switching between files and functions.
Gutter
The small column next to line numbers containing breakpoints, run icons, and code status markers.
Breadcrumbs
Navigation path displayed at the top or bottom of the editor showing your current file/module/class hierarchy.
Tabs
Each open file appears as a tab; right-click for split views or pin frequently used files.
Code Completion
Predictive suggestions for classes, functions, variables, and imports.
Intention Actions (Alt + Enter)
Context-aware quick fixes or refactorings such as adding imports or converting code.
Refactoring
Automated renaming, moving, extracting, or restructuring of code elements safely across the project.
Inspections
Static analysis checks that detect code smells, PEP8 violations, or potential bugs.
Docstrings / Quick Documentation
Hover or use Ctrl + Q to view documentation for functions or classes.
Django Support
PyCharm automatically detects Django projects and provides:
Run/Debug Configurations
Preset launch profiles for Django servers, Gunicorn, Nginx, or test runners.
Templates Folder Mapping
PyCharm indexes all folders declared in TEMPLATES → DIRS in settings.py for autocompletion.
Migrations Tool
GUI to run makemigrations and migrate inside the IDE without terminal commands.
Pip Package Manager
Accessed from Settings → Python Interpreter or via the terminal to install libraries.
Console / REPL
Interactive Python environment for quick experiments within the project context.
Debugger
Allows line-by-line code execution, variable inspection, and conditional breakpoints.
Profiler
Performance analysis tool to find slow parts of your code.
Unit Testing Frameworks
PyCharm integrates with unittest, pytest, and nose, showing results inline.
VCS (Version Control System)
Git integration built in — includes commit history, diff viewer, branch merging, and GitHub login.
Commit Tool Window
Central panel to stage, commit, and push code with diff previews.
Local History
Automatic file backups managed internally, even without Git.
Shelve Changes
Temporarily store unfinished work without committing.
Built-in Terminal
Opens a command line in your project directory, supporting bash/zsh or Windows PowerShell.
Remote Interpreter (SSH)
Run Python directly on your Raspberry Pi using PyCharm’s SSH configuration.
Deployment Configuration
Maps local files to remote servers (e.g., Nginx/Gunicorn setup) for sync or auto-upload.
Docker Integration
Run containers and manage Python environments via Docker if needed.
HTML/CSS/JS Support
Intelligent completion, live preview, and color-coded syntax highlighting.
Database Tool Window
Connects to SQLite, PostgreSQL, or MySQL — browse tables and run queries directly.
REST Client
GUI tool for testing HTTP endpoints (ideal for your Django REST API).
Code Snippets / Live Templates
Predefined code blocks inserted with short abbreviations.
Bookmarks & TODOs
Quick navigation and project-wide reminders.
Find in Path
Powerful multi-file search with regex support.
Split Editor / Presentation Mode
Dual-pane editing or distraction-free coding.
Plugins Marketplace
Install Django extensions, Docker tools, Material themes, etc.
.idea/
PyCharm project settings folder (keep in .gitignore for shared repos).
pyproject.toml / requirements.txt
Dependency definition files for pip and Poetry.
manage.py
Django project command hub.
settings.py
Contains project configuration such as DB credentials, template dirs, and static files.
Run Tool Window – Displays output for scripts and servers.
Event Log – Reports IDE events, warnings, and updates.
Scratch Files – Temporary notebooks for experiments.
Keymap Editor – Customize shortcuts to match VS Code or Sublime style.
Profiler Snapshot – Saves performance metrics for later review.
JetBrains Account – Manages your license or educational subscription.
Here’s a comprehensive glossary for PyCharm IDE — tailored for your open-source Django + Raspberry Pi 5 development environment.
Use this as your quick-reference guide.
Core Concepts
IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
A complete software suite that combines a code editor, debugger, terminal, version control, and project tools — PyCharm is JetBrains’ IDE built for Python and Django.
Project
The top-level folder containing all your source code, settings, virtual environments, and configuration files (.idea folder).
Interpreter
The Python runtime PyCharm uses to execute code. It can point to a system Python, virtual env, or remote interpreter on your Raspberry Pi via SSH.
Virtual Environment (venv)
An isolated Python environment where dependencies are installed without affecting your global system packages.
SDK
PyCharm’s Software Development Kit reference to the Python interpreter and libraries used for the project.
Editor & UI Elements
Editor Pane
Main area where you write Python, HTML, CSS, and Django templates.
Project Tool Window
The left-hand tree listing all files and folders in your project.
Navigation Bar
Compact horizontal bar for quickly switching between files and functions.
Gutter
The small column next to line numbers containing breakpoints, run icons, and code status markers.
Breadcrumbs
Navigation path displayed at the top or bottom of the editor showing your current file/module/class hierarchy.
Tabs
Each open file appears as a tab; right-click for split views or pin frequently used files.
Code Assistance
Code Completion
Predictive suggestions for classes, functions, variables, and imports.
- Basic completion (Ctrl + Space)
- Smart completion (Ctrl + Shift + Space)
Intention Actions (Alt + Enter)
Context-aware quick fixes or refactorings such as adding imports or converting code.
Refactoring
Automated renaming, moving, extracting, or restructuring of code elements safely across the project.
Inspections
Static analysis checks that detect code smells, PEP8 violations, or potential bugs.
Docstrings / Quick Documentation
Hover or use Ctrl + Q to view documentation for functions or classes.
Framework & Django Integration
Django Support
PyCharm automatically detects Django projects and provides:
- Template language highlighting
- ORM autocompletion for models
- manage.py and run-server integration
- Built-in structure view for apps
Run/Debug Configurations
Preset launch profiles for Django servers, Gunicorn, Nginx, or test runners.
Templates Folder Mapping
PyCharm indexes all folders declared in TEMPLATES → DIRS in settings.py for autocompletion.
Migrations Tool
GUI to run makemigrations and migrate inside the IDE without terminal commands.
Python Tooling
Pip Package Manager
Accessed from Settings → Python Interpreter or via the terminal to install libraries.
Console / REPL
Interactive Python environment for quick experiments within the project context.
Debugger
Allows line-by-line code execution, variable inspection, and conditional breakpoints.
Profiler
Performance analysis tool to find slow parts of your code.
Unit Testing Frameworks
PyCharm integrates with unittest, pytest, and nose, showing results inline.
Version Control & Collaboration
VCS (Version Control System)
Git integration built in — includes commit history, diff viewer, branch merging, and GitHub login.
Commit Tool Window
Central panel to stage, commit, and push code with diff previews.
Local History
Automatic file backups managed internally, even without Git.
Shelve Changes
Temporarily store unfinished work without committing.
Terminal & Deployment
Built-in Terminal
Opens a command line in your project directory, supporting bash/zsh or Windows PowerShell.
Remote Interpreter (SSH)
Run Python directly on your Raspberry Pi using PyCharm’s SSH configuration.
Deployment Configuration
Maps local files to remote servers (e.g., Nginx/Gunicorn setup) for sync or auto-upload.
Docker Integration
Run containers and manage Python environments via Docker if needed.
Web Development Add-ons
HTML/CSS/JS Support
Intelligent completion, live preview, and color-coded syntax highlighting.
Database Tool Window
Connects to SQLite, PostgreSQL, or MySQL — browse tables and run queries directly.
REST Client
GUI tool for testing HTTP endpoints (ideal for your Django REST API).
Productivity Features
Code Snippets / Live Templates
Predefined code blocks inserted with short abbreviations.
Bookmarks & TODOs
Quick navigation and project-wide reminders.
Find in Path
Powerful multi-file search with regex support.
Split Editor / Presentation Mode
Dual-pane editing or distraction-free coding.
Plugins Marketplace
Install Django extensions, Docker tools, Material themes, etc.
Settings & Configuration Files
.idea/
PyCharm project settings folder (keep in .gitignore for shared repos).
pyproject.toml / requirements.txt
Dependency definition files for pip and Poetry.
manage.py
Django project command hub.
settings.py
Contains project configuration such as DB credentials, template dirs, and static files.
Advanced Concepts
Run Tool Window – Displays output for scripts and servers.
Event Log – Reports IDE events, warnings, and updates.
Scratch Files – Temporary notebooks for experiments.
Keymap Editor – Customize shortcuts to match VS Code or Sublime style.
Profiler Snapshot – Saves performance metrics for later review.
JetBrains Account – Manages your license or educational subscription.
