[Python-Dev] Python launcher command line usage (Was: 3.2.1 encoding surprise)

[Vlad Riscutia]

I'm kind of -1 on changing Python executable name. It would make sense for
different major versions, where there are known incompatibilities, so
python2-python3 would make sense but python31 python32 not that much...

If my team is using Python and it gets pre-installed with other dev-tools,
do I need to let everyone know they must call python*31*? And if we upgrade,
make sure everyone knows they should now call python*32*? What if we have
scripts that call python? Make sure we update all of them whenever minor
version is changed?

The way I look at it, most people have only one version of Python installed
at one time and it's just extra burden to make them remember major+minor
version number they have. If you actually install multiple versions, you do
that for a reason and, since you know what you're doing, you would rather
remember to pass correct -v argument to py than users who *just want to use
Python*.

Thank you,
Vlad

On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 12:42 PM, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:

> On 7/20/2011 7:55 PM, Mark Hammond wrote:
>
>> On 21/07/2011 4:38 AM, Terry Reedy wrote:
>>
>>  Many installers first make an organization directory and then an app
>>> directory within that. This annoys me sometimes when they only have one
>>> app to ever install, but is useful when there might really be multiple
>>> directories, as in our case. (Ditto for start menu entries.) This is
>>> what python should have done a decade ago.
>>>
>>
>  I disagree. If we followed that advice we would also be in "\Program
>> Files".
>>
>
> That is not what I suggested. I said let the use pick.
>
>
>  I have no problem with multiple Python versions installed
>> directly off the root, especially given most users probably have a very
>> small number of such installations. I think Python being a developer
>> tool rather than a user app is a reasonable justification for that (and
>> the justification used when the existing scheme was decided)
>>
>
> I put the multiple installations and several other directories into
> /programs. On my next machine, on order, I will use /devel.
>
>
>   > The two proposals
>>
>>> overlap but are not mutually exclusive. For future pythons, 'python33'
>>> is easier to remember and type than 'py -v 3.3' or whatever the proposed
>>> encantation is.
>>>
>>
>> 'py -3.3' - less chars to type than 'python33' and with no need to have
>> every Python directory on your PATH.
>>
>
> My proposal, as I clearly said, was for EXACTLY ONE directory to be added
> to PATH. In spite of Microsoft making is damned difficult for users to edit
> PATH, (and deleted programs not deleting their entries) I added
> 'C:/programs;'. I copied python32/python as py32 and python27/python as
> py27. Those are even fewer characters to type (4 versus 7). Now I can click
> a 'Command Prompt' icon and enter 'py32 -m test.regrtest' and it works
> without cd-ing to /programs/python32. Of course, I will have to re-copy with
> every install, which is why I would like something like this as part of
> installs.
>
>
>
>  IMO it is also simple enough that
>> people will remember it fairly easily.
>>
>
> py32 is even easier to remember.
>
>
>  Also, the launcher supports the ability to select either the 32 or 64bit
>> implementation - so maybe 'python33.exe' isn't really good enough and
>> should reflect the bittedness?
>>
>
> Like py32-6? If I install both Pythons on my new 64 bit machine, I will
> think about it, though I have no need for both now.
>
>
>  A python directory also gives a sensible (though optional) place to put
>>> other interpreters and even python-based apps. The launcher does not.
>>>
>>
>> What other interpreters? IMO it doesn't make sense to have IronPython,
>> jython etc be installed there. Ditto for apps - especially given most
>> apps tend to be tied to a subset of all possible Python versions.
>>
>
> If I install pypy, /programs is exactly where I would put it until I
> somehow discovered that to be a problem. Its startup could be copied as pp26
> or something.
>
>
> My idea may be not so good for general use, even though is now solves my
> problems, but please criticize what I said, allowing for obvious
> modifications like py32 instead of python32, and not a strawman that is
> wildly different.
>
> --
> Terry Jan Reedy
>
>
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