In Python 2.5.4's config-main.cfg file, if [EditorWindow]'s width and height are left blank or set to zero, then IDLE window won't show. Uninstalling and re-installing Python didn't help. Problem solved only when the config-main.cfg file was manually edited to give non-zero values.

Thanks for the bug report.  Are you in a position to test whether this is still an issue for Python 2.7?  (Python 2.5 is no longer maintained.)

This is still a bug with 2.7 and 3.4. I just tried leaving the width and height fields in config-main.cfg and IDLE had raised the error:

    _tkinter.TclError: expected integer but got ""

The width and height keys in the text_options dictionary in EditorWindow.py are set to blank strings instead of a number of a number as a string. 

IDLE not showing up is a symptom of issue13582.

When width or height are 0, IDLE starts and show window with some minimal width or height. When width or height are empty or invalid IDLE can't start.

The proposed patch makes IDLE more resistant against such broken configs.

Serhiy, I applied your patch and it works. However, the initial window size in IDLE Preferences->General are listed as "None" instead of a number.

Perhaps if the userCfg has an invalid value then the defaultCfg should be returned?

Changed from Crash to Behavior, as the interpreter is not crashing. Also undid my mistake of re-adding 2.6 and 3.1.

> Perhaps if the userCfg has an invalid value then the defaultCfg should be returned?

Yes, you are right. Thanks for suggestion.

Patch updated. Added warning for case when user config broken. Thanks Roger for suggestion.

Suggestion: When Python is installed, it starts its configurations files
afresh.

Trung Doan
=======

On Wed, Nov 21, 2012 at 8:54 AM, Serhiy Storchaka <report@bugs.python.org>wrote:

>
> Serhiy Storchaka added the comment:
>
> Patch updated. Added warning for case when user config broken. Thanks
> Roger for suggestion.
>
> ----------
> Added file: http://bugs.python.org/file28058/idle_safe_getoption_3.patch
>
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue16511>
> _______________________________________
>

New changeset ffe091ebd5de by Andrew Svetlov in branch '3.2':
Issue #16511: Use default IDLE width and height if config param is not valid.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/ffe091ebd5de

New changeset 10656b0975b3 by Andrew Svetlov in branch '3.3':
Issue #16511: Use default IDLE width and height if config param is not valid.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/10656b0975b3

New changeset a7c9869a5114 by Andrew Svetlov in branch 'default':
Issue #16511: Use default IDLE width and height if config param is not valid.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/a7c9869a5114

New changeset 133f87a7dbf5 by Andrew Svetlov in branch '2.7':
Issue #16511: Use default IDLE width and height if config param is not valid.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/133f87a7dbf5

Fixed. 

Trung, I think installation procedure is not subject of this issue.
If needed please create new one.

I think I will leave it at that, because in the general case probably some
things should be re-initialised during a new/re-install while others should
be left as is, but as a beginner I am far from knowing which ones are which.

Trung
==============

On Mon, Dec 24, 2012 at 10:20 PM, Andrew Svetlov <report@bugs.python.org>wrote:

>
> Andrew Svetlov added the comment:
>
> Fixed.
>
> Trung, I think installation procedure is not subject of this issue.
> If needed please create new one.
>
> ----------
> resolution:  -> fixed
> stage: patch review -> committed/rejected
> status: open -> closed
>
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue16511>
> _______________________________________
>

Ok. Agree with you.