[Idle-dev] The '>>> ' prompt is bad

[Roger Serwy]

On 06/21/2012 03:39 AM, Alan Gauld wrote:
> On 21/06/12 02:16, Roger Serwy wrote:
>
>> I could write a patch to allow ps2 prompts if there's any serious 
>> interest.
>
> I would love that.
>
> This is one of the most common issues I get from users of my web 
> tutorial. At least one email per month from beginners confused by 
> IDLEs indentation. If they are on Windows I just tell them to use  
> Pythonwin but on MacOS/Linux it's not so easy.
>
>

There is an issue for supporting ps1 and ps2. See 
http://bugs.python.org/issue13657

I'll start writing a patch later today.

Does allowing the cursor to leave the prompt considered a benefit or a 
detriment for teaching beginners? The last system I remember using that 
allowed for the cursor to leave the prompt was a line-number BASIC from 
the 1980's. I haven't used any interactive systems since then that 
allowed the cursor to leave the prompt.