Python launcher

[Grant Edwards]

On 2020-04-15, Pieter van Oostrum <pieter-l at vanoostrum.org> wrote:
> Angel V <garnetparker01 at gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I'm new to Python and recently began to self learn the language.
>> Unfortunately, whenever I try to launch it, I'm met with a black pop-up
>> screen the disappears as soon as it comes up. I've tried uninstalling and I
>> just run into the same issue. I tried downloading the program onto my
>> brother's computer and it did the same things.
>
> It seems to me that a Python installation on Windows needs some "First
> steps" documentation to direct the beginners to the essentials of how to
> start a Python program. Preferably something that is displayed
> immediately after installation of in some other way is prominently
> displayed. I am not on Windows myself, so I am afraid I will not be of
> much help in this respect.

I'm not a windows user either, but it's also a pretty good indication
that something needs to be fixed when people keep running the
installer instead of the installed applications, and then ask
(sometimes multiple times per day) on the mailing list why Python is
broken.

Perhaps the initial screen of the installer should state something like

    This is the Python _installer_.  It is used to install, remove, or
    repair Python.

    If you have already installed Python and want to run a Python
    application from a source file foo.py do <this>. Or, to run the
    Python "Idle" IDE do <this>.

Then again at the end of the installation perhaps display the same
hints again?

OTOH, maybe the installer already does that, and people really _are_
that dense...

--
Grant