Executing Python Scripts on Mac using Python Launcher

[Hans Mulder]

On 27/06/12 19:05:44, David Thomas wrote:
> Is this why I keep getting an error using launcher?

No.

Yesterday your problem was that you tried this:

    input("\n\nPress the enter key to exit")

That works fine in Pyhton3, but you are using python2
and in python2, the you must do this instead:

    raw_input("\n\nPress the enter key to exit")

If you still get that error, you can either use "raw_input()"
or switch to Python3, where "input" would be correct.

If you're learning Python from a tutorial, you should
carefully read the first section of the tutorial, where
they mention whether the explains pyhton2 or python3,
and use a matching Python (or a matching tutorial).

If the tutorial doesn't say for which version it is,
then it's for pyhton2 (and several years old).

> Also to open the script in terminal do I need to put
> the following at the beginning of my script:
>
> #!/bin/python

No, that doesn't help.

There are at least three pythons on your system, but
there isn't one in /bin.  There are basically two ways
to run a python script in terminal:

Method 1: type the word "python", followed by a space and
the full path to your script, enclosed in quotes, e.g.

python '/Users/dthomaw86/Documents/Python Documents/game_over_enter_key.py'

The quotes are necessary, because you have a space
character in the path.

Method 2:
Step 1: put valid a '#!' line at the top of the script,
for example:

#!/ust/local/bin/python

Step 2: in Terminal, go to the folder where the script is:

    cd '/Users/dthomaw86/Documents/Python Documents'

Step 3: make the script "executable"

    chmod +x game_over_enter_key.py

Step 4: you can now run the script with:

    ./game_over_enter_key.py

If you want to run the script again, you only need to repeat
step 4.  Or use the "up arrow" key in Terminal.

I think you should pick one method and stick with it, until
you get the hang of Terminal.

> On python.org it states to To run your script from the Terminal
> window you must make sure that /usr/local/bin is in your shell
> search path.

The installer for Mac from python.org has installed python2.7
in /Libary/Frameworks/Python.frameworks/Versions/2.7/bin and
added that directory to you shell search path.

> How can I make sure that the Python I have installed on my Mac
> is in my shell search path.
> 
> http://www.freeimagehosting.net/saskk

If you look at the screen shot, you'll see that the shell
has found python in
/Libary/Frameworks/Python.frameworks/Versions/2.7/bin

Incidentally, you don't have to upload screenshots from
Termimal.  You can you just select text in Terminal and
use cmd-C to copy it to the clipboard, and then cmd-V to
paste it to this forum.  This is a text-only forum, but
text from Terminal _is_ text, so that's allowed.

For example:

HansM 4$ cat game_over_enter_key.py
raw_input("\n\nPress the enter key to exit")
HansM 5$ python game_over_enter_key.py


Press the enter key to exit
HansM 6$

> Thanks again and I am sorry for all the questions,
> I am just getting started on Python

That's all right: most people run into this sort of issues
when they try their first script.  There are usually several
ways to do things, and that leads to you getting conflicting
advice.


Hope this helps,

-- HansM