[Python-Dev] New Windows installer for Python 3.5

[Chris Angelico]

On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 12:20 PM, Steve Dower <Steve.Dower at microsoft.com> wrote:
> Unfortunately, Windows enforces the PATH ordering. It constructs the PATH from two registry keys, one is the system-wide value (that requires administrative privileges to modify) and it is followed by the user's value (that does not require administrative privileges). This is probably for security reasons and can't be changed.
>
> PATH also suffers from including the most-recently installed Python version first, rather than the most recent version. Basically, py.exe gives the behaviour we want and PATH simply can't do it.
>
> I think this means the best way to make multiple versions work properly is to rename python.exe to python3.5.exe, then install the launcher as python.exe and python3.exe (with some logic to look at its own name) so it can resolve the right version. Maybe we can even extend the launcher to resolve launchers in Scripts (pip.exe, etc.) and have consistent rules there too?
>
> Or perhaps this is more trouble than it's worth, and we should let "py.exe" have a fixed set of rules and let PATH work as people have come to expect. Thoughts?

Great. :( Well, if there's no changing the PATH behaviour, so be it...
the question is, should py.exe match that, or do the sane thing?
Neither option is ideal.

ChrisA