can't pass command-line arguments

[Peter Hansen]

BartlebyScrivener wrote:
> It has something to do with importing the cbfindfiles.py file as a
> module, right? Because I just did that, and now the .py and .pyc files
> are synchronized, and I'm getting the same result when I run
> cbfindfiles or cbfindfiles.py, whereas before I was not.

Yes!  That's the only reason you have a .pyc file at all.  Normally, for 
little command line scripts, Python doesn't even bother saving the 
compiled code in the .pyc file.  It does, however, always do this when 
you use "import" so, having once imported it, you'll have that 
out-of-date .pyc file kicking around forever as a latent problem.

> Thank you so much for your generous help.

You're welcome, and thanks for following this through.  I still have 
machines around that have PATHEXT=.pyc;.py;... and will now remove .pyc 
from all of them.  It would probably be nice to trace this back to the 
origin, find whether there was a good rationale for it being that way in 
the first place, and either update a FAQ somewhere or get the problem 
fixed once and for all.

I don't think the standard install messes with PATHEXT, so my bet is on 
ActiveState right now.  Can anyone confirm?  Trent, if you're reading 
this and it is from ActiveState's distribution, do you know where that 
PATHEXT=.pyc;.py choice came from and whether it might have been an 
ill-advised decision that should be undone?

-Peter