[Idle-dev] non-intuitive file trouble, paths, edit-menu

[Henning von Rosen]

non-intuitive file trouble...

I am relatively new to Python and Idle, so i might well have missed some 
point...

Trouble: I write a simple program that reads from a file in the same 
directory as the source file. When I execute the program (win98) by ctrl-f5 
the program does not find the file.

1) Wouldn't it be natural if the the own directoy, was included as the first 
item in the search path (I suppose this is an issue of paths).

2) I think, generally, that the issue of paths is the most non-intuitive 
part of a beginners life, learning f ex Python. A worse example: I remember 
installing jPython on Linux, I would have forgotten how to fix all the 
different paths, if I hadn't written a doc with screendumps and all:-)
   I think paths are much less close to normal everyday human logic and 
thougth, than classes and lists and strings.
   Maybe this is an issue for the OS, but I'd love an intuitive Python on 
top af any OS, giving me full power to interact with my files, data and 
"capacities".
   Conclusiuon: I think the human thougth, f ex as represented by normal 
human language structures, shoud be the design norm of computer systems. 
Python is a wonderful step in this nice direction.

3) Qestion: sometimes I want to try out a program or collection of classes 
and functions by importing it into the interactive mode, can I easily 
reimport after editing the program/module.

4) I really like the close interaction - "talk to python" of the interactive 
mode, and would really like some "seamless" integration of interactiv mode 
and scripting/prototyping.

4b) My nine-year old daughter said "this is fun", when we were playing with 
strings and lists in interactive mode.

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additional IDLE comment: all too many items in the "edit"-menu.
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/Henning von Rosen

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