[Edu-sig] VPython followup

[Jason Cunliffe]

I've been out of the VPython and idlefork loops, but inspired by the recent
install problems Art experiencd with latest PyGeo I wrote directly to Bruce
Sherwood [VPython author].

With his permission I quoting from his replies correspondence to me:

"""
It was not clear how to deal with this issue, but help is on the way. Soon
the standard IDLE distributed with Python will be replaced by the idlefork
project, based on David Scherer's original major revision of IDLE as
distributed with VPython. The new IDLE has a good mechanism for dealing with
multiple help files, which was not available in the past. At that point I'll
be able to change the VPython installer to avoid the current problem.

Currently the VPython installers do not use distutils, because using a
distutils-based installer is difficult for the novices who are common among
the VPython users. For example, on Windows you need to bring up a commands
window and cd to an appropriate directory and invoke Python.... I know from
actual experience with college students that this is way beyond what works
in that environment. It is however likely that distutils would be the right
tool for Linux and Unix installations.
"""

And then some further comments today...

"""
A question: What problems have there actually been with this? I have heard
complaints that VPython isn't doing the right thing, but these complaints
seem rather theoretical, in that I don't know in what way anyone has
actually been significantly inconvenienced concerning the help situation.

It seems to be Guido's intent that idlefork replace the standard idle with
the final release of Python 2.3. If the new idlefork works for VPython, we
would start using it right away. Unfortunately there are no guarantees,
because at the moment VPython does NOT work with the new idlefork. You can't
quit a VPython program as you could with the original idlefork.
"""

If any of you can help this along please do..
Seems like we are all very close to having happy re-solution now.

thanks
./Jason
______________________________________________
Jason Cunliffe [NOMADICS: Director art+design]
Tel/fax: +1 718 422-1078 jasonic@nomadics.org
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