Using Vim as a Python IDE?

Question

I am only just trying to learn Python. Presently using IDLE, but I prefer to edit with Vim. There is a lot of info around on using Vim with Python, but basically all I want to do at the moment is write a bit of test code and then run it through the Python interpreter and get back into Vim after seeing the error messages (;-)) ...I have just been doing a ":!/usr/bin/python %" for that.
Can anyone suggest a more useful Vim addon IDE that is not too convoluted or complicated?

Answer 1

what I used to do was to have a python session running inside screen and mapped some keys to send a selected region to the interpreter. (I took it from some web page, can't remember where.)
I have something like this in my .vimrc:
function Send_to_Screen(text)
if !exists("g:screen_sessionname") || !exists("g:screen_windowname")
call Screen_Vars()
end
echo system("screen -S " . g:screen_sessionname . " -p " . g:screen_windowname . " -X s\
tuff '" . substitute(a:text, "'", "'\\\\''", 'g') . "'")
endfunction
function Screen_Session_Names(A,L,P)
return system("screen -ls | awk '/Attached/ {print $1}'")
endfunction
function Screen_Vars()
if !exists("g:screen_sessionname") || !exists("g:screen_windowname")
let g:screen_sessionname = ""
let g:screen_windowname = "0"
end
let g:screen_sessionname = input("session name: ", "", "custom,Screen_Session_Names")
let g:screen_windowname = input("window name: ", g:screen_windowname)
endfunction
"common send to screen functions
vmap <C-c><C-c> "ry :call Send_to_Screen(@r)<CR>
nmap <C-c>v :call Screen_Vars()<CR>
"python : insert tags and send fns
nmap <C-i><C-p> i#{<CR>#}
nmap <C-c><C-p> ml?#{<CR>jv/#}<CR>k<C-c><C-c>`l
as you can see <C-i><C-p> would insert a couple of tags #{ #} then you write the code in between and, then doing <C-c><C-p> would send everything between the #{ ... #} to python. Very useful when you want to test just some pieces of code, instead if the whole file.