Python Questions - July 25, 2015

[E.D.G.]

<tandrewjohnson at outlook.com> wrote in message 
news:2adac4ce-976f-4a8a-849d-c76e484eba77 at googlegroups.com...
> 1. Download the Windows installer from Python.org to get started. It's the 
> simplest and most common way to get started with Python on Windows.
> 2. Your assumption that Python does not have GUI capabilities built into 
> the language is not correct. But unlike Perl, it has the GUI library 
> Tkinter  bundled with it. There are several more capable choices 
> available: PyGTK, PyQt/PySide, and wxPython.
> For intensive numerical calculations, I'd recommend using the NumPy 
> module, as well as the 64-bit version of Python is possible.


Posted by E.D.G.  July 25, 2015

       Thanks for the comments.  I saw your other response as well.  And it 
sounds like this effort is off to a good start.

       I myself have not yet started working with Python.  But a retired 
professional programmer who is part of this effort did attempt to install 
Python.  And he stated to me that he had encountered some difficulties with 
the installation.

       I am assuming that he got his download from Python.org.  I don't yet 
know why he ran into problems.  But as I have used the ActiveState version 
of Perl for quite a few years and have never had any trouble installing it I 
thought that their Python download might be a fairly easy version to 
install.

       Exactly which version should be used should be an easy matter to 
resolve.


       Most of the computers that people will be using are 64 bit machines. 
But at the same time, most people will be using 32 bit versions of Windows 
including XP.  And I believe that this means that a 32 bit version of Python 
has to be used as well.

       This is somewhat unfortunate as I was once told that with 32 bit 
Windows, the most RAM type memory that a single program can use is 2 
gigabytes.  I have found that to be the case with my Perl programs.  With 64 
bit Windows that memory limit reportedly does not apply.

       So, since many of the people involved with this type of effort will 
likely be using 32 bit Windows XP or Vista, we won't have a choice on this.

Another question:

       With my Perl programs, when I want to run the programs on a new 
computer or even from a flash drive, basically all I do is copy an entire 
existing Perl program directory to the new computer or flash drive.  And 
that works.  However, to make certain that it will work I might also 
actually install the Perl language program, delete everything in the Perl 
directory, and then copy all of the contents of an existing Perl directory 
to that new Perl directory.  That way all of the various Perl modules don't 
have to be individually downloaded and linked with the main program.

       Will that work with Python as well.  Or does each installation need 
to be created from scratch?

Regards,

E.D.G.