[Tutor] why do i need to surround file names in inputs with quotes?

[Tom Churm]

hi,

i've found & adapted the following simple python script that copies one text 
file to another text file.  the script works o.k., but only when i enter the 
name of the text file (both original, and the name of the new text file) 
surrounded by "double quotes".

i don't understand why this is.  and worse, i don't know how to change the 
script so that the filenames inserted by the user no longer require these 
double quotes.

this should be a real easy one, but, being a python newbie, i'd appreciate 
any suggestions.

copyText2Text.py follows:
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
import os
thecwd = os.getcwd()
print ""
print "Python Text File Copier"
print ""
print "Current Working Directory: "+thecwd
a = input('Type name of file to copy surrounded by doublequotes')
b = input('Type name of new file surrounded by doublequotes')

#this was my attempt to add the double quotes automatically to the
#names given by the users' input - but it doesn't work!
#is this just a matter of knowing the proper escape characters??
#a = ""+a+""
#b = ""+b+""

fullfile1 = thecwd+"\\"+a

inp = open(fullfile1,"r")

fullfile2 = thecwd+"\\"+b

outp = open(fullfile2,"w")
for line in inp.readlines():
    outp.write(line)
print "Text file '"+fullfile1+"' copied successfully"
print "to"
print fullfile2
inp.close()
outp.close()

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