bskap is correct. It's developed by Microsoft as a free & open source extension to VS. You can use the VS "Shell" with PTVS to create a fully functional and f

bskap is correct. It's developed by Microsoft as a free & open source extension to VS. You can use the VS "Shell" with PTVS to create a fully functional and free Python IDE. Support is via the forums on codeplex. The good part is that it's monitored directly by the devs on the team.