Python Tools for Visual Studio, or PTVS as it is more commonly known, is an open-source plug-in for Visual Studio that supports programming with the Python language.

Key Features include:

• Supports IntelliSense editing.
• Interactive REPL’s with support for IPython.
• Microsoft Azure deployment support.
• Cross platform debugging support.
• Cross language debugging support.

Python Tools for Visual Studio allows you to turn Visual Studio into a Python IDE. It supports IronPython, CPython, IPython, editing, profiling, browsing, IntelliSense,remote Linux/MacOS debugging, mixed Python/C++ debugging, and web development with frameworks such as Django.

Python Tools for Visual Studio allows you to use an existing Python interpreter, such as CPython, IronPython, PyPy. It supports a broad range of features from editing with IntelliSense to interactive debugging, profiling, interactive REPLs with support for IPython, cross-platform and cross-language debugging support, and deployment to Microsoft Azure.