Python Win32 Silent Install

[Matt Gerrans]

You guessed correctly.   Python is on HP (and Compaq now) PCs because I put 
it there.

And yes, I did get the "I've found Python on my computer, what does it do 
and can I remove it" from the support group.   How to answer that?    You 
have a computer with Windows Script Host (JScript & VBScript) built in and 
you want to remove Python?    I think the best answer is "it does all kinds 
of wonderful things!   You can remove it, of course (easy enough, it is in 
the "Add / Remove Programs" list, after all), but why don't you learn how to 
use it instead?    (I even unhooked the file association to prevent Python 
file attachments in emails from giving a black eye to Python, so out of the 
box, it was relatively safe).

I've use Python and the Win32 extensions for much of the automation of the 
process that pre-installs all the software on the PCs.   Of course, Python 
is very versatile and is ideal for the wide range of tasks, large and small 
that are involved.    Being that it is both powerful and easy to learn (and 
also because of no lack of evangelism (I hate that term, but don't have a 
better synonym) on my part), it has been adopted as the main language used 
by the whole division for build-automation related tasks.   Before Python, I 
wrote the tools in C++ and did scripting with JScript.   I don't think I 
have to tell anyone on this list how dramatic an increase in productivity 
Python can give over these in many areas (there are a still a few areas 
where the C++ tools reign, but Python also works well with those).

I was contacted by Kevin Altis and later Stephan Deibel about doing a Python 
success story about this and I was game.    I did start it, but didn't get 
it finished in time for the Python Success Story book before OSCON 2004 in 
July and have since put it on the back burner.    I need to take a little 
vacation from work, so I can finish that.

- Matt