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Zed IDE for Python Development

Why Zed? The Modern IDE for AI Developers​

You've installed Python tools and created projects with uv. Now it's time to edit your code in a professional environment—an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that understands Python and helps you write better code faster.

The IDE Choice Problem (2025):

Most developers use one of three editors:

  • VS Code: Very popular, powerful, but heavy (~200MB, 3+ seconds to open)
  • PyCharm: Built for Python, feature-rich, but expensive and resource-hungry
  • Zed: Fast, minimal, designed for AI collaboration (new, gaining traction)

We're learning Zed because it aligns with AI-native development. Instead of drowning in features, Zed gives you:

  • Speed: Opens instantly, runs smoothly
  • AI-first design: Built with AI collaboration in mind
  • Minimal overhead: Just code and terminal, nothing bloated
  • Language Server Protocol (LSP): Powers real-time code intelligence without memorizing IDE settings

Source: Verified in intelligence/001-verified-tool-documentation.md

What Is an IDE? (Tier 1: Understand the Concept)​

An IDE combines three things:

  1. Text Editor — Write your code (syntax highlighting, auto-complete)
  2. Terminal — Run commands without leaving the editor
  3. Debugger & Diagnostics — Understand errors and warnings in real-time

Without an IDE, you'd:

  • Edit code in a plain text editor (Notepad, vim)
  • Switch to terminal to run commands
  • Switch back to editor to fix errors
  • Repeat forever = painful

With Zed, all three are in one window. You edit, run, and fix without context switching.

Installing Zed (Tier 1: Direct Command)​

Zed runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Choose your platform:

macOS​

# Download from zed.dev and install via Homebrew
brew install zed

# Verify installation
zed --version

Expected output: zed 0.xxx.x (version number varies)

Windows​

  1. Go to zed.dev
  2. Download the Windows installer
  3. Run the installer
  4. Open PowerShell or Git Bash and verify:
zed --version

Linux​

# Most distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, etc.)
curl https://zed.dev/install.sh | sh

# Verify
zed --version

Platform Note: On Windows with WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), install Zed from the Windows installer, not inside WSL. WSL can't run GUI apps directly.

Opening a Python Project (Tier 1: Direct Usage)​

You've created a uv project in earlier lessons. Now let's open it in Zed.

From your terminal:

# Navigate to your project
cd my-project

# Open entire project in Zed
zed .

What happens:

  • Zed launches and shows your project in a file tree (left sidebar)
  • Files and folders appear as a navigation menu
  • The editor opens ready for editing

See in Zed:

  • Left panel: File tree showing all files and folders
  • Center panel: Editor (currently empty, click a file to edit)
  • Bottom panel: Integrated terminal (ready for commands)

Using the Integrated Terminal (Tier 1: Direct Usage)​

Instead of switching between terminal and editor, Zed has a terminal built in.

Open integrated terminal:

  • Mac/Linux: `Ctrl+`` (backtick, same key as ~)
  • Windows: `Ctrl+`` (backtick)

Terminal opens at the bottom of Zed. Now you can run uv commands without leaving the editor:

# Inside Zed's integrated terminal
uv --version

# Install a library
uv add requests

# Run your code
uv run python main.py

Benefit: You see code on top, terminal output below. No switching windows.

Understanding LSP: Code Intelligence (Tier 2: AI-Explained Concept)​

You'll see a word appear in Zed's status bar: LSP. What is it?

LSP = Language Server Protocol — a standard way for editors to understand code.

Think of it like this:

  • You write code: def greet(name):
  • LSP analyzes it: "This is a function definition. The parameter name should have a type."
  • Editor shows you: Error hints, auto-complete suggestions, documentation

Where does LSP come from?

  • Tools like Pyright (type checker) and Ruff (formatter) speak LSP
  • Zed listens to them and shows errors/hints in real-time

What does it mean when you see "LSP not connected" in Zed?

  • Usually just means Pyright isn't installed yet (we'll fix that in Lesson 10)
  • You can still edit code; type checking just isn't available
  • Not a problem for now

Source: Verified in intelligence/001-verified-tool-documentation.md

Zed Command Palette: The Power Tool (Tier 1: Direct Command)​

Zed has a "command palette"—a searchable menu of all commands. You don't need to memorize anything; you just type what you want.

Open command palette:

  • Mac: Cmd+Shift+P
  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl+Shift+P

Try these commands:

  • Type format → "Format Document" appears (we'll use this in Lesson 9)
  • Type terminal → "Toggle Terminal" appears (we just used this)
  • Type Python → Shows Python-related commands

Key insight: You never memorize Zed commands. You search for them. Same with AI: tell it what you want, it executes.

File Navigation: Quick Moves (Tier 1: Direct Usage)​

You'll spend lots of time jumping between files. Zed makes it fast:

Quick file opener:

  • Mac: Cmd+P
  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl+P

Type the filename and press Enter. Zed finds and opens it instantly.

Example: You're editing main.py, need to see helpers.py:

  1. Press Cmd+P (or Ctrl+P on Windows)
  2. Type helpers
  3. Press Enter
  4. helpers.py opens

Platform-Specific Notes (Tier 1: Context)​

macOS Native​

Zed works natively on macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon). No special setup needed. VSCode alternative: Microsoft's editor also works great on macOS.

Windows WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)​

If you use WSL for development:

  • Install Zed on Windows (not inside WSL)
  • Zed can edit WSL project files via the WSL extension
  • Open terminal in Zed, it runs in WSL automatically
  • This is advanced; if unsure, just use Windows native Python with Zed

Linux​

Zed works on Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, and other distros. Installation via curl script shown above.

The Next Step: Code Quality Tools (Tier 1: Preview)​

So far, Zed is just an editor. But in the next lessons, we'll add:

  • Lesson 8: Ruff (formatter/linter) — fixes code style automatically
  • Lesson 9: Ruff config — customize rules for your team
  • Lesson 10: Pyright (type checker) — catches bugs before running code

These tools integrate with Zed via LSP, making it a complete professional environment.

Try With AI​

Use your AI companion for these exercises.

Prompt 1: Install & Verify (Tier 1 — Direct)​

I'm on [macOS/Windows/Linux].
1. Install Zed IDE
2. Create a simple Python project with `uv init hello-world`
3. Open it in Zed with `zed .`
4. Take a screenshot showing the project tree and terminal

Show me the commands and what to expect at each step.

Expected outcome: Zed installed, project opens, you see file tree and integrated terminal.

Prompt 2: Understand IDE Purpose (Tier 2 — AI Explains)​

Why is it better to use Zed (with a terminal) than editing code in Notepad and running commands in a separate terminal window? What's the benefit of an IDE?

Expected outcome: AI explains integrated workflow, reduced context switching, better feedback loops.

Prompt 3: Zed Keybindings (Tier 2 — Configuration)​

Show me the most useful Zed keybindings for Python development (on [Mac/Windows/Linux]).
Include: opening terminal, finding files, formatting code.

Expected outcome: Quick reference for common commands you'll use repeatedly.

Red Flags to Watch​

Problem: "Zed says 'LSP not connected'"

  • What it means: Pyright language server isn't installed yet
  • What to do: This is normal! We install it in Lesson 10. For now, you can still edit code.
  • Not urgent: Type checking isn't available, but that's OK for this lesson

Problem: "Terminal won't open in Zed"

  • What it means: Keybinding might be different on your system
  • What to do: Use Command Palette instead (Cmd+Shift+P or Ctrl+Shift+P), type "terminal", press Enter
  • Fallback: Open external terminal; both work fine

Problem: "Zed is slow / not responding"

  • What it means: Rare; usually a system resource issue
  • What to do: Close and reopen Zed; if still slow, check your computer's CPU/memory (Activity Monitor on Mac, Task Manager on Windows)
  • Worst case: Use VS Code as alternative (slower but more stable on older machines)