Windows and python execution

[Mark Carter]

What I would like to do it type something like[color=blue]
> myscript.py[/color]
instead of[color=blue]
> python myscript.py[/color]
on a Windows console. I know its possible because Ruby scripts manage to
do this - I just don't know the registry settings that need to be
tweaked to enable it. Any ideas (I'd prefer to know the registry
settings rather than a graphical way to accomplish the goal)?

[BartlebyScrivener]

Re: Windows and python execution

Well, can't help with the registry, but I suppose you could search
google for "edit system variables path registry" and find the hard way.
The easy way is:

You need to add the path of the directory where you keep myscript.py to
your system path. You do this by going to Control Panel | System |
Advanced | Environmental Variables. At the bottom under System
Variables, edit the variable PATH and add the directory where you want
to keep your Python scripts.

rpd

[rzed]

Re: Windows and python execution

Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote in
news:43afdec0$0 $15788$14726298 @news.sunsite.d k:
[color=blue]
> What I would like to do it type something like[color=green]
> > myscript.py[/color]
> instead of[color=green]
> > python myscript.py[/color]
> on a Windows console. I know its possible because Ruby scripts
> manage to do this - I just don't know the registry settings that
> need to be tweaked to enable it. Any ideas (I'd prefer to know
> the registry settings rather than a graphical way to accomplish
> the goal)?[/color]

As another poster points out, be sure that your Python is on your
path.

And there is a PATHEXT environment variable, which contains
extensions that signal that the program is executable. Add .PY and
..PYW to this list and you will be good to go.

--
rzed

[Mark Carter]

Re: Windows and python execution

rzed wrote:[color=blue]
> Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote in
> news:43afdec0$0 $15788$14726298 @news.sunsite.d k:
>
>[color=green]
>>What I would like to do it type something like
>>[color=darkred]
>>>myscript.p y[/color]
>>
>>instead of
>>[color=darkred]
>>>python myscript.py[/color][/color][/color]
[color=blue]
> As another poster points out, be sure that your Python is on your
> path.
>
> And there is a PATHEXT environment variable,[/color]

Aha. You'bve provided a significant clue.

What you need to do is include the following line in autoexec.bat:
set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe

This will achieve the desired result. I'm suprised more people don't use it.

[BartlebyScrivener]

Re: Windows and python execution

>> What you need to do is include the following line in autoexec.bat:[color=blue][color=green]
>> set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe[/color][/color]

Whatever works for you. I don't have that command in my autoexec.bat
file and my python scripts execute from any location because the
directory they are stored in is in my PATH variable.

[rbt]

Re: Windows and python execution

Mark Carter wrote:[color=blue]
> rzed wrote:[color=green]
>> Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote in
>> news:43afdec0$0 $15788$14726298 @news.sunsite.d k:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> What I would like to do it type something like
>>>
>>>> myscript.py
>>>
>>> instead of
>>>
>>>> python myscript.py[/color][/color]
>[color=green]
>> As another poster points out, be sure that your Python is on your path.
>> And there is a PATHEXT environment variable,[/color]
>
> Aha. You'bve provided a significant clue.
>
> What you need to do is include the following line in autoexec.bat:
> set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe
>
> This will achieve the desired result. I'm suprised more people don't use
> it.[/color]

I'm surprised the installer doesn't do it :)

[BartlebyScrivener]

Re: Windows and python execution

The installer can put python.exe in his PATH but if he's storing his
scripts in some oddball place then he has to tell Windows where to find
them.

rpd

[Mark Carter]

Re: Windows and python execution

BartlebyScriven er wrote:[color=blue]
> The installer can put python.exe in his PATH but if he's storing his
> scripts in some oddball place then he has to tell Windows where to find
> them.[/color]

I think you're misunderstandin g what I was after. python.exe is already
in my PATH. What I was trying to do was execute a python script without
having to type the word "python" explicitly. For that, you need the
"set" command that I listed in a previous post. Anyway, I want to be
able to put my scripts in "oddball" places, as they form part of
separate projects rather than a generally-runnable script. It doesn't
matter to me that Windows cannot find the script itself - because I just
go to the directory where's it's at.

The upshot is that my original problem has now been solved, and that
discussing the matter further will only likely confuse the issue.

[BartlebyScrivener]

Re: Windows and python execution

>>What I was trying to do was execute a python script without
having to type the word "python" explicitly. For that, you need the
"set" command that I listed in a previous post.<<

I'm not confused and I like to keep my scripts in oddball places too.
Namely d:\python. All I'm saying is I don't use the set command. I
don't have an autoexec.bat file. I simply place d:\python in the path
variable and I can execute python scripts from the command line from
any directory without typing "python" first. I just type "myscript.p y"
and it executes. Okay. You're welcome.

rpd

[Bengt Richter]

Re: Windows and python execution

On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 14:53:28 +0000, Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote:
[color=blue]
>rzed wrote:[color=green]
>> Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote in
>> news:43afdec0$0 $15788$14726298 @news.sunsite.d k:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>What I would like to do it type something like
>>>
>>>>myscript. py
>>>
>>>instead of
>>>
>>>>python myscript.py[/color][/color]
>[color=green]
>> As another poster points out, be sure that your Python is on your
>> path.
>>
>> And there is a PATHEXT environment variable,[/color]
>
>Aha. You'bve provided a significant clue.
>
>What you need to do is include the following line in autoexec.bat:
>set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe
>
>This will achieve the desired result. I'm suprised more people don't use it.[/color]
I wasn't aware of that syntax for set. What OS/platform/shell is that from?
How did you go from the PATHEXT "clue" to the set command you specify and decide
not to set pathext, e.g., by something like
set PATHEXT=%PATHEX T%;.py
Does your set do the pathext and assoc and ftype all in one swell foop?

Regards,
Bengt Richter

[Mark Carter]

Re: Windows and python execution

Bengt Richter wrote:
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>And there is a PATHEXT environment variable,[/color]
>>
>>Aha. You'bve provided a significant clue.
>>
>>What you need to do is include the following line in autoexec.bat:
>>set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe
>>
>>This will achieve the desired result. I'm suprised more people don't use it.[/color]
>
> I wasn't aware of that syntax for set. What OS/platform/shell is that from?[/color]

Windows XP, bog-standard default shell. UNIXers have it easy because
they can use the normal "shebang".
[color=blue]
> How did you go from the PATHEXT "clue" to the set command you specify[/color]

I can't remember. It was a bit of luck, I think. I happened upon:

http://www.jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?exeext.htm

probably as a result of Googling for PATHEXT.
[color=blue]
> and decide
> not to set pathext, e.g., by something like
> set PATHEXT=%PATHEX T%;.py
> Does your set do the pathext and assoc and ftype all in one swell foop?[/color]

Actually, I haven't figured out what PATHEXT is actually supposed to
"do". It seemed to me that Windows couldn't possibly know that a py file
should be started by python.exe, whereas my
set .py= ...
would.

I had installed python 2.4 in the standard way, so py files were already
associated with python when you double-clicked them from Explorer. Using
my set meant that if I wanted to use py files from the command line, I
could just type out the script name (you have to be in the right
directory, of course), and it works. Here's a snippit from my
autoexec.bat files:
set PATH=C:\python2 4;%PATH%
set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe

[rzed]

Re: Windows and python execution

Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote in
news:43b0697b$0 $15789$14726298 @news.sunsite.d k:
[color=blue]
> Bengt Richter wrote:
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>>And there is a PATHEXT environment variable,
>>>
>>>Aha. You'bve provided a significant clue.
>>>
>>>What you need to do is include the following line in
>>>autoexec.bat : set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe
>>>
>>>This will achieve the desired result. I'm suprised more people
>>>don't use it.[/color]
>>
>> I wasn't aware of that syntax for set. What OS/platform/shell
>> is that from?[/color]
>
> Windows XP, bog-standard default shell. UNIXers have it easy
> because they can use the normal "shebang".
>[color=green]
>> How did you go from the PATHEXT "clue" to the set command you
>> specify[/color]
>
> I can't remember. It was a bit of luck, I think. I happened
> upon: http://www.jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?exeext.htm
> probably as a result of Googling for PATHEXT.
>[color=green]
>> and decide
>> not to set pathext, e.g., by something like
>> set PATHEXT=%PATHEX T%;.py
>> Does your set do the pathext and assoc and ftype all in one
>> swell foop?[/color]
>
> Actually, I haven't figured out what PATHEXT is actually
> supposed to "do". It seemed to me that Windows couldn't possibly
> know that a py file should be started by python.exe, whereas my
> set .py= ...
> would.
>
> I had installed python 2.4 in the standard way, so py files were
> already associated with python when you double-clicked them from
> Explorer. Using my set meant that if I wanted to use py files
> from the command line, I could just type out the script name
> (you have to be in the right directory, of course), and it
> works. Here's a snippit from my autoexec.bat files:
> set PATH=C:\python2 4;%PATH%
> set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe
>[/color]

I should have asked which Windows version you had. My bad. On Win2k
or XP, adding .py (for instance) to the PATHEXT variable means that
you can execute "myNeatProgram. py" with this command-line:
prompt>myNeatPr ogram

Since .py appears in the PATHEXT variable, the system knows that
..py files are executable, so it's not necessary even to specify
them. What must happen, I suppose, is that the system looks for
myNeatProgram.b at, myNeatProgram.c om, myNeatProgram.e xe, etc.,
until it hits upon myNeatProgram.p y and proceeds to run it. So if
you have a myNeatProgram.b at that appears earlier in your path than
myNeatProgram.p y does, the bat file is what gets run.

--
rzed

[Mark Carter]

Re: Windows and python execution

rzed wrote:
[color=blue]
> I should have asked which Windows version you had.[/color]

XP Pro

My bad. On Win2k[color=blue]
> or XP, adding .py (for instance) to the PATHEXT variable means that
> you can execute "myNeatProgram. py" with this command-line:
> prompt>myNeatPr ogram[/color]

Oh, now I see! It's beginning to make sense to me. I'll have to try that
out. Thanks for the tip.

[Tim Roberts]

Re: Windows and python execution

Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote:
[color=blue]
>rzed wrote:[color=green]
>> Mark Carter <me@privacy.net > wrote in
>> news:43afdec0$0 $15788$14726298 @news.sunsite.d k:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>What I would like to do it type something like
>>>
>>>>myscript. py
>>>
>>>instead of
>>>
>>>>python myscript.py[/color][/color]
>[color=green]
>> As another poster points out, be sure that your Python is on your
>> path.
>>
>> And there is a PATHEXT environment variable,[/color]
>
>Aha. You'bve provided a significant clue.
>
>What you need to do is include the following line in autoexec.bat:
>set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe
>
>This will achieve the desired result. I'm suprised more people don't use it.[/color]

They don't use it, because it doesn't do anything. I'd be interested to
know where you read that.

What the OP needs is this:

assoc .py=Python.File
ftype Python.File="c: \Apps\Python24\ python.exe" "%1" "%*"
assoc .pyw=Python.NoC onFile
ftype Python.NoConFil e="c:\Apps\Pyth on24\pythonw.ex e" "%1" "%*"

Substitute your own Python path.

The Python .msi installer DOES do this, if you let it do its default thing.
You should check whether these are already set up, by doing this:

assoc .py
--
- Tim Roberts, timr@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

[Peter Hansen]

Re: Windows and python execution

BartlebyScriven er wrote:[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>What you need to do is include the following line in autoexec.bat:
>>>set .py=c:\python24 \python.exe[/color][/color]
>
>
> Whatever works for you. I don't have that command in my autoexec.bat
> file and my python scripts execute from any location because the
> directory they are stored in is in my PATH variable.[/color]

But only because you type "python scriptname.py" instead of just
"scriptname.py" , right? Or because something or someone (I don't
believe the standard distribution does this) changed the PATHEXT
environment variable to contain ".PY" somewhere.

Merely adding the folder containing the EXE to PATH does *not* let you
avoid typing "python" before the script name, as your posts imply.

-Peter