[Tutor] unable to locate python on mac

[Cameron Simpson]

On 31Jan2018 19:44, Alan Gauld <alan.gauld at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>On 31/01/18 17:42, Megan Zirger wrote:
>> I am completely new to python and trying to learn how to set up and get 
>> going.
>
>I'm not a Mac expert but v2.7 is usually installed on a Mac by default
>(although its just a basic version its fine for learning)

Yes, the system Python is 2.7:

  [~]fleet*> /usr/bin/python
  Python 2.7.10 (default, Oct 23 2015, 19:19:21)
  [GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple LLVM 7.0.0 (clang-700.0.59.5)] on darwin
  Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
  >>>

That's from El Capitan, a few OS releases behind.

[...]
>>  able to work with sublime text.
>
>I think that's a text editor right?
>Or is it more of an IDE? Can you run the code inside sublime?
>Is that what you are trying to set up?

Subblime Text is just an editor. It's got lots of nice stuff but it isn't an 
IDE.

>If that's the case you probably need to type in the path to the pyhon3
>interpreter in Sublime's settings somewhere. Thats the same path you
>got from 'which python3' above.

My Sublime text seems to be associated as the default app for opening .py files 
already. A little surprised here, I use vim mostly and thought I'd bound MacVim 
(the GUI form of vim on a Mac) for .py files.

>If you need more details you will need to ask more specific questions.
>Bear in mind that although some folks here use Macs most of us don't.

I live on a Mac, I'll watch this thread.

But yes, Alan's remark that Python isn't an "app" in the sense of a GUI tool is 
probably very pertinent.

Megan, you may be expecting Python to be a GUI app. It isn't, though it can be 
used to write them. You also need some sort of arrangement to edit python code 
and run it.

Such arrangements tend to come in 2 basic forms: an IDE (integrated development 
environment) which is usually a GUI app with both editing and running 
capabilities, or separate editor and run arrangements.

Sublime Text, which I gather you use, is, I thought, just an editor. You also 
need somewhere to run Python from. Those of use not using IDEs generally run 
the programmes from a terminal. Personally I use iterm3 for my terminals, lots 
of nice features.

Cheers,
Cameron Simpson <cs at cskk.id.au> (formerly cs at zip.com.au)