Ren'Py Python IDEs post-Atom?

[MidnightArrow]

Now that Microsoft is killing Atom in favor of their own product, what does this mean for Ren'py? Is there a chance Atom will still be supported even though it's dead? Will RenpyTom fork it and create a Renpy-only branch? Or is it best to switch IDEs now? What alternatives are there with Ren'py syntax highlighting (besides jEdit)?

 

[79flavors]

The version of Atom used by RenPy is locked at 1.35.0 (or 1.35.1). It comes pre-installed with the packages that RenPy needs and a preset configuration (including syntax highlighting). I believe it's using the "portable" edition, which won't auto-update. In fact, trying to run Atom 1.37.+ breaks some of the functionality that we take for granted (Loading the list of files within the same project without opening it explicitly as a project). So even though the latest version is 1.60.0?, RenPy is still using 1.35.0.

In theory, PyTom doesn't need to do anything - since it will continue to work as it has done since March 2019 - which was the last time RenPy updated it. The RenPy installer doesn't grab it from atom.io's site either.

The only restriction I can see is if you use additional packages not already shipped with RenPy (for example, I use minimap).
I guess we'll just need to be careful with our backups.

 

[MidnightArrow]

I see. I tried downloading a package ("scripts" I think) but it wouldn't load. Now you mention Atom hasn't been updated in 3 years, I guess it doesn't work with older versions.

Originally I used Editra because the Ren'py site said so. Then a few updates later it said they were removing Editra because it wasn't updated, so I'm leery how long they'll support this new dead software.

 

[79flavors]

When you are in the preferences page of the RenPy launcher and select "Atom" as the default text editor, it downloads a very specific version of Atom from the RenPy servers (or mirrors I guess). And then that's what it uses.
That version is 3 years old, yes. But Atom has continued to be updated since - but as RenPy users, we haven't used any of those newer versions.

RenPy doesn't go anywhere near atom.io and so will continue to work even if they shut Atom down tomorrow (their sunset date is 15-Dec-2022).

In short... RenPy could still continue to download it's own copy of Atom pre-configured on 16-Dec-2022 and long into the future. What Microsoft do is completely separate and disconnected from how RenPy uses Atom.
Unless the RenPy team decide to change to a different "preferred editor".

Older software isn't necessarily "dead" software. Though a future version of Windows may become incompatible. Think of it instead as "stable" software - if it works and does everything you need of it... what does it matter if it's 3 days or 3 years old?

 

[MidnightArrow]

I get what you're saying.

But only a year ago the "preferred editor" was Editra. Then PyTom ditched it, claiming Editra was no longer being developed. So I'm wondering if and when the same will happen to Atom, and whether I should familiarize myself with a new IDE sooner rather than later. Especially with all the new 3D model stuff, which I assume will require big syntax changes that might not be worth it for a sunset-ed IDE.

As I was writing this post, I looked through the changelog for 8.0 again and noticed it's adding Visual Studio Code support. So I guess that answers part of my question.

 

[cisco_donovan]

VSC already has excellent support for Ren'Py.

You can already use a variety of different tools with Ren'Py, and I expect the syntax highlighting rules etc can be shared between editors too.

So all the means is that maybe the default Ren'Py editor will change, but that's not really a big deal

 

[MidnightArrow]

Does the FOSS fork of VCS with all the spyware "telemetry" scrubbed out also work with Ren'py?

I think I remember Microsoft "accidentally" reenabled the "telemetry" in VSC once or twice.

 

[lobotomist]

I made a similar post https://f95zone.to/threads/atom-is-dead.120392/#post-8344486 where I link to the announcement that the newest versions of ren'py will feature official VS code support.

 

[8InchFloppyDick]

Literally ANY text editor will do just fine. I've written renpy scripts in VSCode, Codium, Geany, Nano, TextMate and even in crusty old Nedit on a 25-year old SGI workstation. I've even heard that the AI known as EMACS will write your VN for you overnight

 

[lobotomist]

Does the FOSS fork of VCS with all the spyware "telemetry" scrubbed out also work with Ren'py?

I think I remember Microsoft "accidentally" reenabled the "telemetry" in VSC once or twice.

yup codium supports most of the extensions

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[MidnightArrow]

I guess that settles that, then. I wish PyTom would officially support Codium instead of VCS, but oh well.