[Edu-sig] PEPTALK: path sanity and newbie mental health -- please help

[Kirby Urner]

At 09:36 AM 7/7/2003 -0500, John Zelle wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I've been only a lurker on this list, and I hate to prolong this thread, 
>but there is one simple point that I don't think has been addressed yet. 
>Generally, when working on Python programs, you'll want to start an 
>interactive shell, editor, etc. in the directory where your current 
>project resides.

I don't think that's so important, if the path is setup right.  My "Start in:"
directory for a Python shell is always something like D:\PROGRA~1\Python22 i.e.
is the Python root directory.  None of my own working files will be there.
They're in site packages, a subfolder thereof (packages) or maybe in
pythonroot\work.

I use the .pth approach i.e. when I boot Python, the contents of .pth files
extend the set of directories in which Python looks for modules (Arthur
suggested this as well).

Look at Python's own libraries -- they're not in the root that the shell,
by default, starts in.

>Under Windows, the easiest way to do this is to place a shortcut for 
>Python, IDLE or whatever in the directory where you are working. Just make 
>sure that the "Start in:" entry of the shortcut is blank, and the program 
>will fire up using the directory it's currently in as the default working 
>directory. Since Python will load modules from the current directory, this 
>is a quick and easy way to work on your programs without doing any path 
>futzing at all.

But I don't want to create different icons for each subdirectory I might be
working in.

>In Jason's case, a shorcut on his firewire drive should solve the problem 
>described below. Of course, you need to make sure to start Python or IDLE 
>from the shortcut on the drive, not from the Start menu.
>
>Cheers,
>
>--John

Or he might create a .pth file containing the line m:\pystuff (or whatever).
To me that seems the easiest solution.

Kirby