[Tutor] PyScripter header?

[Amit Saha]

On Wed, May 8, 2013 at 6:10 PM, Jim Mooney <cybervigilante at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm trying PyScripter instead of Wing 101. It works fine and has a lot
> more PyLearner features than Wing 101 (at the same price ;'), such as
> popups showing the parameters for methods, profiler, lint,
> programmable snippets, etc. It also lets you choose your Python
> version and finds the right one, which is handy, since I'm learning on
> 3.3 but a lot of good stuff is older.
>
> However, a new file in PyScripter always starts with:
> _____________________________________________
>
> def main():
>     pass
>
> if __name__ == '__main__':
>     main()
> _____________________________________________

This allows you to write your program in such a way that main() is
called only when you are running it as a standalone script.

If you import your program in another program, the condition: if
__name__=='__main__'  evaluates  to False and hence your main()
function is not called.

If you had written your program like this:

def main():
    pass

main()

Your  main() function would be called in both cases.

Some good answers here [1].

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/419163/what-does-if-name-main-do


>
> What is that stuff?  I thought I was getting away from all this
> business of defining a main entry point. I don't see it in any of the
> Py library files or other Py programs.

Yes, it just a case of you defining the entry point..you are not required to.

HTH,
Amit.


--
http://echorand.me