[Tutor] help with setting Python Path under WinMe

[Brian van den Broek]

Hi all,

I'm feeling pretty lame about it :-( but I cannot figure out how to
configure my Python Path as I'd like. I am using Python 2.3.4 under
Windows Me. My Python installation is on my C: partition and I have my own
Python files on my D: partition.

I want to add the two directories:

D:\Python Files\MyModules
D:\Python Files

in that order to the *end* of my Python Path. (This preference is
explained below.)

I have seen the advice for Windows users to employ the Environment
Settings tab of the Control Panel->System, but Windows Me does not appear
to offer this.

I tried running regedit and searching the registry for PythonPath, and the
only relevant key I found was:

My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore\2.3\PythonPath
which was set to ('<' added for email):

<"C:\PYTHON23\Lib;C:\PYTHON23\DLLs;C:\PYTHON23\Lib\lib-tk">

I tried both of the following additions to that key (rebooting after each
change):

<"C:\PYTHON23\Lib;C:\PYTHON23\DLLs;C:\PYTHON23\Lib\lib-tk;D:\Python
Files\MyModules;D:\Python Files">

<"C:\PYTHON23\Lib;C:\PYTHON23\DLLs;C:\PYTHON23\Lib\lib-tk;D:\Python~1\MyModu~1;D:\Python~1">

In each case when I tested, I got:

IDLE 1.0.3
>>> import sys
>>> for i in sys.path: print i

C:\PYTHON23\Lib\idlelib
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\PYTHON23.zip
C:\Python23
C:\PYTHON23\DLLs
C:\PYTHON23\lib
C:\PYTHON23\lib\plat-win
C:\PYTHON23\lib\lib-tk
C:\PYTHON23\Lib\site-packages\win32
C:\PYTHON23\Lib\site-packages\win32\lib
C:\PYTHON23\Lib\site-packages\Pythonwin
C:\PYTHON23\lib\site-packages

So, no effect. (This is exactly what I had before making any changes at all.)

I then tried modifying my autoexec.bat to include the line:

SET PYTHONPATH=D:\Python~1\MyModu~1;D:\Python~1

On reboot, this resulted in:

IDLE 1.0.3
>>> import sys
>>> for i in sys.path: print i

C:\PYTHON23\Lib\idlelib
C:\Python23
D:\Python~1\MyModu~1
D:\Python~1
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\PYTHON23.zip
C:\PYTHON23\DLLs
C:\PYTHON23\lib
C:\PYTHON23\lib\plat-win
C:\PYTHON23\lib\lib-tk
C:\PYTHON23\Lib\site-packages\win32
C:\PYTHON23\Lib\site-packages\win32\lib
C:\PYTHON23\Lib\site-packages\Pythonwin
C:\PYTHON23\lib\site-packages

This works in that it lets me import my own files. But, as I said, I want
my additions to appear at the end of my PythonPath. I am a bit concerned
that I might save foo.py to one of the dirs I added where there is a
foo.py already in existence further down the path. If I were to
later run a python prog which wanted to import foo.py from one of those
subsequent directories, I worry that it could well take me a long time to
work out what the error was. I certainly don't know the contents of these
dirs so as to be sure of avoiding a conflict, and checking each time seems
a bit much.

Am I worrying for nothing? It does seem to me that there ought to be a way
to do what I want, though.

(As a side issue, I am also puzzled as to why the change to autoexec.bat
switched the order of C:\Python23 and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\PYTHON23.zip.)

Thanks for any suggestions and best to all,

Brian vdB