Hi,
I see pointers to Python appearing on Apple's OS X downloads
page:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/unix_apps_utilities/
These are the two entries:
1 MacPython 2.1.1. (Jack Jansen, 1.1 MB)
MacPython is the port of Guido van Rossum's Python high-level
object-oriented language, including an IDE and access to native
functionality.
MacPython is the port of Guido van Rossum's Python high-level
object-oriented language to the Mac. Python is freely distri-
butable and available in source form too. Aside from the nu-
merous extension modules available on most platforms (include
the Tk windowing toolkit, sockets and many others) MacPython
has a number of extension modules specifically for Mac OS.
MacPython programmers have access to QuickDraw, QuickTime,
the Sound manager and various third party toolkits like In-
ternet Config and Waste, to name but a few.
Also included is an integrated development environment by Just
van Rossum, which includes an editor, debugger and class brow-
ser all closely integrated.
The full distributions below contain examples and some docu-
mentation on Mac-specific aspects of using Python. Documenta-
tion on the language and the standard library can be obtained
at the Python website.
2 Python 2.1 2.1 (Tony Lownds, 5.9 MB)
A straight port of the Python programming language.
Python 2.1 pre-compiled for Mac OS X. This version features:
- readline
- expat XML parser
- Python Imaging Library 1.1.2
- zlib
Being not quite sure if someone helped Apple to enlist them
I wonder if it is a good idea at all to have multiple Python
entries there and if so, if they could be described in such
a way as to make very clear what the difference between them
really is? Especially Tcl/Tk is an (absent) issue.
Would it be possible to unite the two entries under the same
(web) hood (or cross-link them if they aren't already) and
offer two (identical) packages for download, one compiled
and one not? My feeling is that this would reduce the poten-
tial for confusion, at least when looking to this particular
Apple page...
Dinu
--
Dinu C. Gherman
................................................................
"They made a desert and called it peace." (Tacitus)