Core packages

There’re several packages to achieve functions as IDE or visual studio code: elpy, jedi and anaconda-mode are the most used. But LSP will be easier to depoly and use for the most situations.

Prerequisites

Elpy requires some prerequisites, like Jedi, Rope and some others which you need to download through pip, the python package manager. You can check the list through "M-x elpy-config" and install them before using elpy properly. In this process, I’ve encountered a problem that even after downloading these packages I still cannot use elpy. This is because the installed packages are in ~/local/bin and I didn’t add it in PATH. the solution is either add it or use sudo -H pip install.

Activiate Virtualenv

Elpy recommend to use virtualenv and you need to download Virtualenv through pip as well. Makedir to generate a new folder and use virtualenv command to create a virtualenv folder. Finally, use M-x pyvenv-activate to activate it.

Company-quickhelp/company-box

Basically you can successfully use elpy after steps above. C-c C-c to send region to python interactive interpreter, C-c C-d to show documentation, M-. to go to definition. If you stop cursor at some point for a moment, the minibuffer will automatically show simple documentation. But we can use company-quickhelp to move it to a box. See the following snapshoot.

My configuration and snapshoot

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(use-package elpy
  :init
  (elpy-enable)
  :config
  (setq python-shell-interpreter "ipython" ;require pip install ipython
	python-shell-interpreter-args "-i --simple-prompt")
  (add-hook 'python-mode-hook 'eldoc-mode)
  (setq elpy-rpc-python-command "python3")
  (setq elpy-shell-echo-output nil)
  (setq python-shell-completion-native-enable nil)
  (setq elpy-rpc-backend "jedi")
  (setq python-indent-offset 4
        python-indent 4)
  )

(use-package company-quickhelp
  :config
  (company-quickhelp-mode 1)
  (eval-after-load 'company
  '(define-key company-active-map (kbd "C-c h") #'company-quickhelp-manual-begin)))