[Python-Dev] Windows installer pre-prelease

[Tim Peters]

[/F]
> no, but Tim's and my experiences from doing user support show that
> the standard Windows recommendation doesn't work for command line
> applications.  we don't care about Microsoft, we care about Python's
> users.

[Greg Stein]
> Valid point. But there are other solutions, too. VC distributes a thing
> named "VCVARS.BAT" to set up paths and other environ vars. Python could
> certainly do the same thing (to overcome the embedded-space issue).

And put the .bat file where, exactly?  In the Python root, somewhere under
"Program Files"?  Begs the question.

MS doesn't want you to put stuff in System32 either, but it's the only
rational place to put the DLL.  Likewise the only rational place to put the
cmdline EXE is in an easy-to-get-at directory.  If C:\Quickenw\ is good
enough for the best-selling non-MS Windows app, C:\Python-1.6\ is good
enough for Python <wink>.

Besides, it's a *default*.  If you love MS guidelines and are savvy enough
to know what the heck they are, you're savvy enough to install it under
"Program Files" yourself.  The people we're trying to help here have scant
idea what they're doing, and dealing with the embedded space drives them
nuts at the very start of their experience.

Other languages understand this.  For example, here are pieces of the PATH
on my machine:

C:\PERL5\BIN
D:\JDK1.1.5\BIN
C:\WINICON\BIN
E:\OCAML\BIN