dont laugh

[Alex Martelli]

"Grant Edwards" <nobody at nowhere.nohow> wrote in message
news:kV8s5.8545$6E.2225807 at ptah.visi.com...
> On Sat, 2 Sep 2000 16:06:25 +0200, Alex Martelli <aleaxit at yahoo.com>
wrote:
> >"Ian Hobson" <ian.hobson at ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> >news:1rAlZGAgEEs5Ew4l at ntlworld.com...
> >    [snip]
> >> Python MUST run "out of the box" (even on win32 - which it does not)
and
> >> then the ideas can be explained.
> >
> >What do you mean by "it does not"?  You download a self-installing
> >executable, run it, and there's a 'Python' entry on the Programs menu
> >of your Start button (plus, probably, one or more other entry points,
> >such as IDLE and/or Pythonwin, depending on the contents of said
> >self-installing executable).  That seems to be pretty much "out of
> >the box" to me.
>
> On many (if not most) Linux systems it's even simpler than that:
> Turn on the computer, log in, type "python".

If the operating system is pre-installed, and python is installed
with it, and on every user's PATH, and a terminal emulator is set
to come up by default, yes.  Of course, you'll never convince MS
to preinstall a non-MS language on every Win32 machine, much
less to have a command-box come up by default.

So, there are two sub-issues: [a] is a given program preinstalled
together with the operating system on the user's machine, and
[b] is it simpler to write a command string at a terminal-like
text-box, or to use Windows' Start/Programs/Python menu
navigation approach.  On [b], one could argue either way; today's
users seem to be used to the navigation-approach -- or, for
programs they use truly often, they'll copy a shortcut icon to
the desktop, tray-area, or QuickLaunch toolbar, which no doubt
does provide the very fastest way to launch a program (ONE
mouseclic, with Windows' current default settings).

But the "real estate" available for this purpose is limited, and
it depends on the user's choices WHAT few programs he'll
want to privilege this way.  It's certainly peculiar to argue
that a program "MUST" (uppercase in the original) be among
the very few thus singled out "by default", in order to be able
to teach about that program's use at all.

Similarly, if a program "MUST" (uppercase) be pre-installed,
or else stand zero chance to be taught, it must be a peculiar
program indeed.  99.7% of programs (including programming
languages' compilers/interpreter/IDEs...) must make do without
the huge marketing advantage of pre-installation, and yet they
manage.  What would single Python out so much, that it MUST
be pre-installed with the OS or else stand no chance...?

I think describing this thesis as "poppycock" would be slightly
too charitable and urbane, so I'll refrain from expressing what
I actually think of it...


Alex