[Python-ideas] Make py.exe default to Python 3

[Paul Moore]

On 15 March 2016 at 11:25, Oscar Benjamin <oscar.j.benjamin at gmail.com> wrote:
> AFAICT the default behaviour of the Windows installer does not add
> Python to PATH. Correct me if I'm wrong as I haven't used it myself
> for some time but when I tell my students to "install Python 3.5" and
> then to type "python" in the terminal a lot of the Windows users come
> back to me with PATH problems (specifically that python was not added
> to PATH).

I would have thought that is relatively easy to resolve. A pain to
have to do in a classroom environment, certainly, but manageable. The
reasons Python is not added to PATH are something that has been
debated over and over again on various lists. As far as I know,
neither option is ideal, but "not on PATH by default" is typically
seen as the least likely to fail in confusing ways.

You could (relatively easily) write a small Windows Scripting Host
script to locate the version of Python you wanted people to use via
the registry, and add it to the front of PATH. That would need
elevation to work, of course, but would give a known-good starting
point.

On Unix, tell people just "run python3".

Having versioned executables available on Windows might be helpful,
but only a little bit as they still wouldn't be on PATH.

Paul