running python

[Alan Kennedy]

Iain Macalister wrote:

> How do you run files written with python if you don't have the
> compiler and stuff on your computer?

Unfortunately, that's not possible.

Although a compiler is not required to run python programs, some
python stuff (namely a "python virtual machine") is required (the
distinction between compiler and VM is possibly not important to you). 

Tangent: To give a comparison, trying to run a python program without
a python VM is comparable to running Pentium programs without a
Pentium CPU. It can be done (a man called Turing said so), but it's a
lot of hard work that you probably wouldn't want to get into.

However, I would strongly encourage you to install python on your
system and run your software that way. It's really rather easy and
painless.

If your requirement is to install and run python programs on other
peoples computers, then there are several ways to bundle your python
programs and the virtual machine + support libraries into a single
distributable file, such that the end user doesn't even know python is
in use. If this is your intention, check on py2exe, the McMillan
installer, freeze, squeeze, etc.

I do believe the FAQ entry about distribution can be found here

http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw.py?req=show&file=faq04.028.htp

HTH,

-- 
alan kennedy
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