How to Integrate C/C++ python modules with PVTS projects/VS 2013 Solutions

Question

I have installed VS2013 Express Edition and wanted to use the PVTS plugin to manage Python based web application solutions. Apparently the PVTS plugin cannot be installed for an existing VS Express Edition (vs Professional/Ultimate Editions)
Also I'd like to have some support to edit python pyramid compatible view templates (i.e. simple (X-)HTML editing?!?), but that's a nice to have.

So since the plugin doesn't work for the Express Edition: Is there a way to tell the standalone PVTS VS installation about C/C++ projects & integration?

Answer 1

PTVS Integrated does not come with VS Express - rather, it comes with VS Integrated Shell. The net effect is kinda similar to "Python Express", but one subtle difference is that Shell permits installation of other extensions into it. Also, unlike Express, it is not separate from VS proper - i.e. if you install VS Professional or Ultimate on a machine with PTVS Integrated, it will replace and subsume the Shell.

Unfortunately, Shell does not come with editing and project system support for C++ - it has the full-featured native debugger, but nothing else. Since said C++ support is not distributed as extension, there's no way to add it to PTVS Integrated without upgrading to VS Professional or higher.

What you can do is use VS Express and PTVS Integrated open side by side with the same solution, which includes both your Python project and your C++ project. Express will not be able to show Python projects, and so they will show up as "unavailable" there, but it will give you a good C++ editing story and the ability to build the module. PTVS will show C++ projects as "unavailable", but it will give you a good Python and HTML editing story, and the ability to debug Python & C++ side by side. Unfortunately, this means no build/run integration, so you'll need to remember to build the C++ project in Express every time you want to run the Python project in PTVS.

With respect to HTML editing, the template language used in Pyramid does not have any special syntax above that of HTML, so the stock VS HTML editor should provide reasonably good experience. PTVS does not have any special support for Pyramid beyond that, neither for template editing nor for the project system, but there is a feature request for it in the tracker, and we're planning on adding project system support for it in 2.1 - have a look at the functional specification for more information on what's coming up.