[Tutor] 'pydoc' is not recognized as an internal or external command, ...

[R Johnson]

Hello All,
I'm currently attempting to work my way through Zed Shaw's "Learn Python the 
Hard Way" (suggested by co-workers) and have come across an instruction to:
1. In Terminal where you normally run python to run your scripts, type: pydoc 
raw_input. Read what it
says.

So in a terminal, at the command prompt I type: pydoc raw_input.
I'm going out on a limb here - I don't believe the following is what I was 
supposed to read:
'pydoc' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program 
or batch file.
The word pydoc is in single quotes. 

So, I go back to the terminal and type: python
Then I type: pydoc raw_input
The computer spits back: 
File "<stdin>", line1
  pydoc raw_input
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
(There is a carrot symbol under the "t" of input.)

What I've done so far to figure it out:
1. Searching Google and here on the tutor mailing list.
I cannot find this exact same phrase - there are many similar ones on the two 
pages of returned search results, but not the exact same phrase. I assume from 
the verbiage that I don't have "something" installed or I have installed 
"something" incorrectly but what exactly I cannot tell.
2. Searching this page: http://docs.python.org/library/pydoc.html  
This page contains lots of great information if you already know what you are 
doing but not information for how to start or troubleshoot "pydoc." For one as 
new as myself this might as well be in a dead language that has no Rosetta 
Stone.
3. Picked the brains of the co-workers who recommended the book - they are as 
confused as me as to why it's not working. They don't seem to have needed it.

Any suggestions?
Thank you,
R.



      
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