Question on Python 3 shell restarting

[Ned Deily]

In article 
<CAMuTYXgji6rnKD96vut6DvtsRGNbwdbnZcN=MR37VwnTN-ENDQ at mail.gmail.com>,
 Benjamin Kaplan <benjamin.kaplan at case.edu> wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 2:36 PM, Franck Ditter <franck at ditter.org> wrote:
> > In article
> > <19745339.1683.1333981625966.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums at yncc41>,
> >  Miki Tebeka <miki.tebeka at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> > How may I get a fresh Python shell with Idle 3.2 ?
> >> Open the configuration panel (Options -> Configure IDLE).
> >> Look in the "Keys" tab for the shortcut to "restart-shell"
> >
> > Fine, thanks, but WHY isn't it in a menu (e.g. Debug) ?
> > Moreover, I see :
> >
> >    restart-shell - <Control-Key-F6>
> >
> > Hum, but when I press, Ctl-F6, nothing happens !!??!! F6 gives me char.
> > (MacOS-X Lion, France, Idle 3.3.0a2)
> >
> > I tried to replace "restart-shell " with F6 (which does nothing except 
> > displaying a
> > strange character inside a square), but that was refused "already in 
> > use"...

It is in a menu item but *only* when the IDLE shell window has the focus.

> > P.S. There is no "configuration panel (Options -> Configure IDLE)",
> > only a Preferences menu with a "Key" tab on MacOS-X. May I suggest to the
> > Python Idle 3 team to test their software on a Mac ? Please :-)
> 
> 
> IDLE is tested on the Mac. But Mac OS X has very different design
> guidelines from programs on other systems. The Preferences menu is
> pretty much required to be under the Program Name menu, for example.
> And all the keyboard shortcuts that use Ctrl on Windows and Linux use
> Command on Mac OS X. If you don't specify Mac, we're going to give you
> the options that work on Windows and Linux.

Yes, and one of the differences is that, on OS X, there is only menu bar 
per application, not per window as in many other windowing systems.  To 
deal with that OS X Aqua Tk (and, hence, IDLE) alters the menu options 
and menu keyboard accelerators to match the currently selected window, 
i.e. the window currently with focus.  So, in IDLE,  if you have an IDLE 
Shell window, an IDLE edit window, and an IDLE debug window open, you 
will see somewhat different menu options depending on which of those 
windows you click on.  If you click on the IDLE shell window, you'll see 
a Shell menu option with a Restart Shell menu item that has a ^F6 
accelerator.  If you click on the edit window, that menu item is no 
longer available.

-- 
 Ned Deily,
 nad at acm.org