[Tutor] basic IDLE and other difficulties

[alan.gauld@bt.com]

> --> just how do I make IDLE take the same thing for the "current"
>      (or desired current) directory as I do?  (I don't want to have to
>      keep putting things in the midst of ...Python/Lib)

Look at the PYTHONPATH environme t variable 
- set it up in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to point to 
the directory(s) where you store your own modules 
then reboot.

From then on Python will look first in iyts own libraries 
then in yours for a module. I think that's really what you want?

> --> how do I make IDLE acknowledge that I have *changed* a file
>      in my favorite editor (or even in the IDLE builtin editor) after
>      the first "from myfile import ..." ? IDLE seem just barely
>      too stubborn to see my changes. Keep quitting and restarting??

Try issueing a 'reload'. I'm not sure if/where it is in IDLE 
but theres definitely a menu version on Pythonwin.

BUT It only works if you used

	import foo

not if you did

	from foo import *

In the latter case you will have to quit/restart.
(unless somebody else knows a better way???)

FWIW I usually run IDLE as a development environment 
but keep a DOS box open to run the programs - IDLE has 
some bugs around raw_input() and input() and a few 
other issues. Thus I use Ctrl-S to sabe then run the 
program in the DOS box: F3 <Return>

> Sorry I'm not posting these questions to comp.lang.python.

Thats OK this forum is for exactly these types of questions.

Alan G.