35 PyCharm Power‑Tips to Boost Your Python Productivity

Hello everyone, today Ming Ge updates PyCharm usage tips.

Since March 24, a series of articles has been published, each containing five useful PyCharm tricks, totaling 35 tips.

This is the sixth article in the series; you can view the previous ones if you haven't already.

Lifelong Efficient PyCharm Tips (1)

Lifelong Efficient PyCharm Tips (2)

Lifelong Efficient PyCharm Tips (3)

Lifelong Efficient PyCharm Tips (4)

Lifelong Efficient PyCharm Tips (5)

Lifelong Efficient PyCharm Tips (6)

31. Record Past Clipboard History

On Windows you can use the clipboard utility Ditto to save everything you copy. macOS users have similar functionality in Alfred.

In PyCharm, press Ctrl+Shift+V to open a clipboard history window, allowing you to paste previously copied items.

32. Easy JSON Formatting

An unformatted JSON file can be hard to read. In PyCharm, press Ctrl+Alt+L to automatically reformat the JSON.

{"profile":{"name":"明哥","gender":"male","age":18,"公众号":"Python编程时光","msg":"欢迎大家关注我的公众号！"}}

If you prefer an online tool, you can use sites like https://tool.oschina.net/codeformat/json, but PyCharm provides built‑in formatting.

33. Use Linux Commands on Windows

Windows uses dir to list files, while Linux uses ls -l. If you are comfortable with Linux commands, you can open a Bash window in PyCharm and run them directly.

34. Quick Code Encapsulation

When a main function becomes too large, extract parts of the code into separate functions.

Define a new function at an appropriate location.

Copy the original code into the new function.

Replace the original code with a call to the new function.

For larger refactoring, PyCharm offers shortcuts. While Shift+F6 renames variables, Ctrl+Alt+M extracts selected code into a method.

Select the code, press Ctrl + Alt + M, edit the function name, parameters, and return value, then click OK. PyCharm creates the method automatically.

35. Use Git for Version Control

Open the Git integration via VCS → Git → Clone, enter the repository URL, and click Test to verify the connection.

After cloning, you can choose to open the repository in the current window or a new one. Ensure the option Add to currently opened projects is checked if you work with multiple repositories.

Git configuration is now complete, and you can use Git commands from the VCS → Git menu.