[Tutor] Printing the Carriage return character

[Alan Gauld]

>    Not sure if this is a python thing or a Operating system peculiarity,

An IDLE thing specifically - or maybe even  a Tkinter thing...

> Why does the line
> print "FirstLine" + "\rSecondLine"
> produce different output when run via IDLE and when run in the python
> prompt (both under Windows XP)?

\r is a carriage return which literally means that the printhead carriage 
should return to the start of the line. You need a line feed character if 
you want a new line too.

Unfortunately some OS use \r to do both, others need both.
The safe way is to use \n (new line) instead.

> Output in IDLE (ver 1.1.1, python 2.4.1):
> FirstLine
> SecondLine

> Output at the python prompt (python 2.4.1):
> SecondLine

So being pedantic XP is correct, IDLE is wrong but in fact 
because the conventions are so mixed up right and wrong is 
a bit woolly.

Which response were you trying to get?

Alan G
Author of the learn to program web tutor
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld