[Pythonmac-SIG] Getting started with Python on a Mac.

[Tony Lownds]

At 3:36 PM -0800 11/14/02, Kurt Marek wrote:
>I took a class on Python and OOP in grad school a year ago. The 
>class was geared toward UNIX and Windows and I did all of my coding 
>in IDLE on X. I'm running Jaguar now and am quite confused about 
>some of the Mac-specific and OSX-specific issues of running Python. 
>I'll try to distill my confusion down into a few basic questions.

Your questions are really well-worded. I doubt I will clear anything 
up however - the fact is that some things are in flux regarding IDLE 
and Python on OSX. If you want to use python on OSX today, just fire 
up Terminal.app and type "python". You won't be able to make GUI 
applications but you will be able to make useful programs, including 
CGI scripts. Switching from IDLE to another text editor (the TextEdit 
program works fine) will be less confusing than trying to get IDLE to 
work, today.

>1) I would like to use an IDLE setup. What's the best way to 
>accomplish this on OSX?

Wait for Python 2.3. The next best alternative is to download Python 
2.3 from CVS, and idlefork from CVS. Python 2.3 builds Tkinter 
smoothly, and will include idlefork, which has Mac OS X specific 
fixes.

>2) Since I am just learning Python, I would like my learning 
>'experience' (and my code) to be as compatible as possible with 
>other platforms so that I will be comfortable switching to another 
>platform. Specifically, what are the issues surrounding Tcl/TK, IDLE 
>on OSX, etc. Reading these threads makes things seem pretty 
>confusing to a beginner.

The main platform quirks I have run into are:

1. When running GUI apps run using "pythonw" not "python". Error 
messages like "SetFrontProcess failed, -600" and windows that do not 
respond are symptoms of this.

2. Python and threads work fine; but Python and threads and Tcl/Tk does not.

>3) Is there a book

No

>or a web site geared toward beginning Python programming on OSX

Nothing specific to *beginning* programming on OSX, but Russel Owen's 
web site is well written:

   http://www.astro.washington.edu/owen/

Thanks,
-Tony