[Python-Dev] New update to PEP397 - Python launcher for Windows

[Glenn Linderman]

On 7/20/2011 11:35 PM, Mark Hammond wrote:
> Customized Commands:
>
>      The launcher will support the ability to define "Customized Commands" in a
>      Windows .ini file (ie, a file which can be parsed by the Windows function
>      GetPrivateProfileString).  A section called '[commands]' can be created
>      with key names defining the virtual command and the value specifying the
>      actual command-line to be used for this virtual command.
>
>      For example, if an INI file has the contents:
>
>      [commands]
>      vpython=c:\bin\vpython.exe -foo
>
>      Then a shebang line of '#! vpython' in a script named 'doit.py' will
>      result in the launcher using the command-line 'c:\bin\vpython.exe -foo
>      doit.py'

I experimented, and empirically determined, that a customized command 
can be of the form

[commands]
/usr/bin/perl=C:\perl\bin\perl.exe

and that this works to launch Unix perl scripts on Windows 
(successfully, if the perl script is actually portable).

This does not contradict the above description, but may be surprising to 
some.  I think it is a good thing.

Of course, the extra handling of versions, and locating of corresponding 
installed versions of things applies only to Python, but some may find 
uses for launching non-Python programs.  This also would work for python 
programs using non-CPython implementations that may not set the registry 
in the same way.  However, because virtual commands take precedence over 
Customized Commands, there is no way to override even a specific virtual 
command to point at a Python other than a CPython.  (perhaps some 
serious registry hacking could make a non-CPython masquerade in the 
registry as a version of CPython.)
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