Most Basic Question Ever - please help

[Dave Angel]

seanm.py at gmail.com wrote:
> I am going to try posting here again with more detail to see if I can
> finally get my first program to work.
>
> I am working on a MacBook Pro with OS X 10.4.11. I opened a new window
> in IDLE to create a file. The file had only one line of code and was
> saved as module1.py. I saved it to Macintosh HD. The one line of code
> in the file is copied below:
>
> print 'Hello module world!'
>
> I closed the file and tried to run it in IDLE and Terminal, but I have
> had no success. I'll paste my commands and the error messages below
> (for IDLE, then Terminal). Any help would be very much appreciated. I
> feel like the marathon just started and I've fallen flat on my face.
> Thanks.
>
> IDLE 2.6.2
>   
>>>> python module1.py
>>>>         
> SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>
>
> sean-m-computer:~ seanm$ python
> Python 2.6.2 (r262:71600, Apr 16 2009, 09:17:39)
> [GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5250)] on darwin
> Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>   
>>>> python module1.py
>>>>         
>   File "<stdin>", line 1
>     python module1.py
>                  ^
> SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>
>
>   
In both cases, you're already running python.  Why would you expect to 
have to run python inside python?

Once you're at a python prompt (in either of your cases), you use the 
command "import" to load a module.  And you do not put the ".py" 
extension on the parameter.  Specifically, it should look like this, and 
very similar for IDLE.

M:\Programming\Python\sources\temp>c:\ProgFiles\Python26\python.exe
Python 2.6.2 (r262:71605, Apr 14 2009, 22:40:02) [MSC v.1500 32 bit 
(Intel)] on
win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
 >>> import module1
Hello module world!
 >>>

>
>