Helping Windows first time users

[DL Neil]

On 16/04/20 3:34 PM, Dennis Lee Bieber wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Apr 2020 19:23:43 +0100, Barry Scott <barry at barrys-emacs.org>
> declaimed the following:
> 
>> I post some suggestion to improve the Python installer for Windows
>> to better sign post users on the next steps.
>>
>> https://mail.python.org/archives/list/python-ideas@python.org/message/TKHID7PMKN5TK5QDQ2BL3G45FYAJNYJX/
>>
>> It also seems like we could do with drafting the text of a helpful
>> reply to help the Windows first time users. This would help folks that
>> reply to the Windows first time users to have a quick way to reply
>> without drafting the text a reply every time.
>>
>> What are your thoughts on the installer changes and reply text?
> 
> 	No other Windows installers that I know of provide information on how
> to use the installed application. Anyone installing software should realize
> that the installer file itself is just that, an installer, and not be used
> in attempts to run the installed application, they should look elsewhere
> for the application itself.
> 
> 	I would also note that there are MANY Python installers for Windows:
> Python.org, ActiveState, Anaconda, Enthought, and even (for Win10) the M$
> "app store" has one. Are you proposing that all these sources need to make
> changes to their distributions?


@Barry's observation is that many first-time Python-on-Windows users 
seem to fail at the first click. (I have also voiced similar concerns 
'here')


As mentioned, I don't pay the regular 'MSFT-tax'. However, many use 
MS-Windows because that's what they've been given, or must use, at their 
work. I have read articles which suggest that MS-Windows has improved to 
the point of making a good/better dev.platform. Whether *I* agree, or 
not, is of no import in this conversation.


If one downloads other Win-installer installed software, what happens? 
Is Python's Win-download following the same, expected, pattern?
If not, why not?
Why does the installer not delete itself after (successful) 
installation? ie why are users left a situation where (what is actually) 
re-installation is the most obvious 'next thing to do'?


What about installing a menu-item (or whatever they call those Win-10 
home-screen 'boxes'), and that it either:
- launches Idle as a dev.env, or
- opens a 'DOS box' and fires-up Python from the cmdLN

Either would at-least allow neophytes to get-started. Neither would 
affect established users, who dive straight into their IDE-of-choice.

As for other distributions: what they do is their business. Literally! 
After all, (in thought) one man's baldachin is another man's canopy...


Meantime, we cut-down on so many of the essentially repetitive 'noise' 
questions on this list. Perhaps more importantly, it removes the 
temptation to assume that the tenth such enquiry this-week, has come 
from the same person as the other nine, and thus to respond bluntly, 
impolitely, or in an other than encouraging fashion. (see also the 
Python Foundation's several diversity, inclusion, and other principles)
-- 
Regards =dn