[issue35099] Improve the IDLE - console differences doc

[Terry J. Reedy]

Terry J. Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> added the comment:

By 'console' I mean the text-interface window that Python normally runs in, whether in batch or interactive mode, whether started directly from an icon or menu or file listing or indirectly by entering 'python' in a shell program running in the console.  (On Windows, there is only the one text UI program.)

On Windows, 'console' is the proper term (as Eryk Sun has taken pains to point out).  "Command Prompt' (cmd.exe)*, 'PowerShell' (???.exe) and Python (python.exe, when run directly without using either command-line program) all use the same console as their UI.  In all cases, the app interacts with users through a console window just as IDLE interacts with users through tk windows.

*Naive Windows users sometimes call a console window a Command Prompt window or every a Dos Prompt window, even when Python is running in such a window without cmd.exe.

In all cases, clicking the icon in the upper left corner displays the console menu.  Selecting 'Properties' displays the console properties dialog.  Selecting the 'Options' tab displays an option to use the 'legacy console' rather than the 'new console'.

I appreciate being informed that the naked term does not work for other systems.  Would it be sufficient to define 'console' as the text interface window that Python normally runs in, which might instead be caller a terminal, terminal window, or shell window?  I would rather not have to use 'console or terminal' everywhere.

'IDLE - console differences' is about differences in execution result and output display* when running Python code through IDLE (using tk) instead of Python in its standard running-in-a-console mode.  Do you have a better idea of how to reduce this to a few words?  How about 'IDLE - console Python differences', with an explanation of 'console Python'?  ('terminal Python' reminds me of dead parrots ;-)

(Since I opened this issue, I realized that the pasting difference is a code preparation difference that belongs elsewhere.)

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dependencies: +Documents input/output effects of how IDLE runs user code, IDLE Doc: Text consumes unlimited RAM, consoles likely not
nosy:  -ned.deily
title: IDLE: say more about IDLE - console differences -> Improve the IDLE - console differences doc

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue35099>
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