[Python-Dev] Status of PEP 397 (original) (raw)

[Python-Dev] Status of PEP 397 - Python launcher for Windows

Paul Moore p.f.moore at gmail.com
Sun Feb 19 10:03:31 CET 2012

On 19 February 2012 03:09, Mark Hammond <mhammond at skippinet.com.au> wrote:

Thanks for the note Paul, but did you also mean to CC python-dev?

Yes, I did, sorry.

On 18/02/2012 9:15 PM, Paul Moore wrote:

On 18 February 2012 05:24, Mark Hammond<skippy.hammond at gmail.com>  wrote:

I'm wondering what thoughts are on PEP 397, the Python launcher for Windows.  I've been using the implementation for a number of months now and I find it incredibly useful. I use it all the time. It's extremely useful, and I wouldn't be without it. [OT: One interesting property I find useful - if you put an alias "vpython=python.exe" in the ini file (no path to Python) then #!vpython picks up whatever Python is on PATH - this can be very useful if you use virtualenvs a lot and want to run a script with the current virtualenv] Thoughts or comments? IIRC, one question was how to manage multiple installs - if I install Python 3.3 and 3.4, both of which install py.exe, and then uninstall one, what happens to py.exe. What if I then uninstall the second? Reference count the launcher? If it were possible to package up the launcher installer with the Python installer, but then install it as a separate item, that might be best (it's what MS products seem to do a lot - install one, get ten extra - I don't like the way MS do it, but it seems appropriate here). This would also allow python.org to host a standalone version of the installer which could be installed seamlessly for older versions. Paul

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