320 lines
12 KiB
ReStructuredText
320 lines
12 KiB
ReStructuredText
.. highlightlang:: none
|
|
|
|
.. _using-on-windows:
|
|
|
|
*************************
|
|
Using Python on Windows
|
|
*************************
|
|
|
|
.. sectionauthor:: Robert Lehmann <lehmannro@gmail.com>
|
|
|
|
This document aims to give an overview of Windows-specific behaviour you should
|
|
know about when using Python on Microsoft Windows.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Installing Python
|
|
=================
|
|
|
|
Unlike most Unix systems and services, Windows does not require Python natively
|
|
and thus does not pre-install a version of Python. However, the CPython team
|
|
has compiled Windows installers (MSI packages) with every `release
|
|
<http://www.python.org/download/releases/>`_ for many years.
|
|
|
|
With ongoing development of Python, some platforms that used to be supported
|
|
earlier are not longer supported (due to the lack of users or developers).
|
|
Check :pep:`11` for details on all unsupported platforms.
|
|
|
|
* DOS and Windows 3.x are deprecated since Python 2.0 and code specific to these
|
|
systems was removed in Python 2.1.
|
|
* Up to 2.5, Python was still compatible with Windows 95, 98 and ME (but already
|
|
raised a deprecation warning on installation). For Python 2.6 (and all
|
|
following releases), this support was dropped and new releases are just
|
|
expected to work on the Windows NT family.
|
|
* `Windows CE <http://pythonce.sourceforge.net/>`_ is still supported.
|
|
* The `Cygwin <http://cygwin.com/>`_ installer offers to install the `Python
|
|
interpreter <http://cygwin.com/packages/python>`_ as well; it is located under
|
|
"Interpreters." (cf. `Cygwin package source
|
|
<ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/pc/gnuwin32/cygwin/mirrors/cygnus/
|
|
release/python>`_, `Maintainer releases
|
|
<http://www.tishler.net/jason/software/python/>`_)
|
|
|
|
See `Python for Windows (and DOS) <http://www.python.org/download/windows/>`_
|
|
for detailed information about platforms with precompiled installers.
|
|
|
|
.. seealso::
|
|
|
|
`Python on XP <http://www.richarddooling.com/index.php/2006/03/14/python-on-xp-7-minutes-to-hello-world/>`_
|
|
"7 Minutes to "Hello World!""
|
|
by Richard Dooling, 2006
|
|
|
|
`Installing on Windows <http://diveintopython.org/installing_python/windows.html>`_
|
|
in "`Dive into Python: Python from novice to pro
|
|
<http://diveintopython.org/index.html>`_"
|
|
by Mark Pilgrim, 2004,
|
|
ISBN 1-59059-356-1
|
|
|
|
`For Windows users <http://swaroopch.com/text/Byte_of_Python:Installing_Python#For_Windows_users>`_
|
|
in "Installing Python"
|
|
in "`A Byte of Python <http://www.byteofpython.info>`_"
|
|
by Swaroop C H, 2003
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alternative bundles
|
|
===================
|
|
|
|
Besides the standard CPython distribution, there are modified packages including
|
|
additional functionality. The following is a list of popular versions and their
|
|
key features:
|
|
|
|
`ActivePython <http://www.activestate.com/Products/activepython/>`_
|
|
Installer with multi-platform compatibility, documentation, PyWin32
|
|
|
|
`Python Enthought Edition <http://code.enthought.com/enthon/>`_
|
|
Popular modules (such as PyWin32) with their respective documentation, tool
|
|
suite for building extensible python applications
|
|
|
|
Notice that these packages are likely to install *older* versions of Python.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Configuring Python
|
|
==================
|
|
|
|
In order to run Python flawlessly, you might have to change certain environment
|
|
settings in Windows.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Excursus: Setting environment variables
|
|
---------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Windows has a built-in dialog for changing environment variables (following
|
|
guide applies to XP classical view): Right-click the icon for your machine
|
|
(usually located on your Desktop and called "My Computer") and choose
|
|
:menuselection:`Properties` there. Then, open the :guilabel:`Advanced` tab
|
|
and click the :guilabel:`Environment Variables` button.
|
|
|
|
In short, your path is:
|
|
|
|
:menuselection:`My Computer
|
|
--> Properties
|
|
--> Advanced
|
|
--> Environment Variables`
|
|
|
|
In this dialog, you can add or modify User and System variables. To change
|
|
System variables, you need non-restricted access to your machine
|
|
(i.e. Administrator rights).
|
|
|
|
Another way of adding variables to your environment is using the :command:`set`
|
|
command::
|
|
|
|
set PYTHONPATH=%PYTHONPATH%;C:\My_python_lib
|
|
|
|
To make this setting permanent, you could add the corresponding command line to
|
|
your :file:`autoexec.bat`. :program:`msconfig` is a graphical interface to this
|
|
file.
|
|
|
|
Viewing environment variables can also be done more straight-forward: The
|
|
command prompt will expand strings wrapped into percent signs automatically::
|
|
|
|
echo %PATH%
|
|
|
|
Consult :command:`set /?` for details on this behaviour.
|
|
|
|
.. seealso::
|
|
|
|
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/100843
|
|
Environment variables in Windows NT
|
|
|
|
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519
|
|
How To Manage Environment Variables in Windows XP
|
|
|
|
http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/~louis/software/faq/q1.html
|
|
Setting Environment variables, Louis J. Farrugia
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finding the Python executable
|
|
-----------------------------
|
|
|
|
Besides using the automatically created start menu entry for the Python
|
|
interpreter, you might want to start Python in the DOS prompt. To make this
|
|
work, you need to set your :envvar:`%PATH%` environment variable to include the
|
|
directory of your Python distribution, delimited by a semicolon from other
|
|
entries. An example variable could look like this (assuming the first two
|
|
entries are Windows' default)::
|
|
|
|
C:\WINNT\system32;C:\WINNT;C:\Python25
|
|
|
|
Typing :command:`python` on your command prompt will now fire up the Python
|
|
interpreter. Thus, you can also execute your scripts with command line options,
|
|
see :ref:`using-on-cmdline` documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finding modules
|
|
---------------
|
|
|
|
Python usually stores its library (and thereby your site-packages folder) in the
|
|
installation directory. So, if you had installed Python to
|
|
:file:`C:\\Python\\`, the default library would reside in
|
|
:file:`C:\\Python\\Lib\\` and third-party modules should be stored in
|
|
:file:`C:\\Python\\Lib\\site-packages\\`.
|
|
|
|
.. `` this fixes syntax highlighting errors in some editors due to the \\ hackery
|
|
|
|
You can add folders to your search path to make Python's import mechanism search
|
|
in these directories as well. Use :envvar:`PYTHONPATH`, as described in
|
|
:ref:`using-on-envvars`, to modify :data:`sys.path`. On Windows, paths are
|
|
separated by semicolons, though, to distinguish them from drive identifiers
|
|
(:file:`C:\\` etc.).
|
|
|
|
.. ``
|
|
|
|
Modifying the module search path can also be done through the Windows registry:
|
|
Edit
|
|
:file:`HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Python\\PythonCore\\{version}\\PythonPath\\`,
|
|
as described above for the environment variable :envvar:`%PYTHONPATH%`. A
|
|
convenient registry editor is :program:`regedit` (start it by typing "regedit"
|
|
into :menuselection:`Start --> Run`).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executing scripts
|
|
-----------------
|
|
|
|
Python scripts (files with the extension ``.py``) will be executed by
|
|
:program:`python.exe` by default. This executable opens a terminal, which stays
|
|
open even if the program uses a GUI. If you do not want this to happen, use the
|
|
extension ``.pyw`` which will cause the script to be executed by
|
|
:program:`pythonw.exe` by default (both executables are located in the top-level
|
|
of your Python installation directory). This suppresses the terminal window on
|
|
startup.
|
|
|
|
You can also make all ``.py`` scripts execute with :program:`pythonw.exe`,
|
|
setting this through the usual facilites, for example (names might differ,
|
|
depending on your version of Windows):
|
|
|
|
#. Open the context menu of a :file:`{*}.py` file.
|
|
#. Click :menuselection:`Open with...`.
|
|
#. Choose the interpreter of your choice (utilize :guilabel:`Other...` or
|
|
:guilabel:`Choose Program...` if it is not in the list of default programs).
|
|
#. Check :guilabel:`Always open files with this program`.
|
|
#. Click :guilabel:`OK`.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional modules
|
|
==================
|
|
|
|
Even though Python aims to be portable among all platforms, there are features
|
|
that are unique to Windows. A couple of modules, both in the standard library
|
|
and external, and snippets exist to use these features.
|
|
|
|
The Windows-specific standard modules are documented in
|
|
:ref:`mswin-specific-services`.
|
|
|
|
|
|
PyWin32
|
|
-------
|
|
|
|
The `PyWin32 <http://python.net/crew/mhammond/win32/>`_ module by Mark Hammond
|
|
is a collection of modules for advanced Windows-specific support. This includes
|
|
utilites for:
|
|
|
|
* `Component Object Model <http://www.microsoft.com/com/>`_ (COM)
|
|
* Win32 API calls
|
|
* Registry
|
|
* Event log
|
|
* `Microsoft Foundation Classes <http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/
|
|
en-us/vclib/html/_mfc_Class_Library_Reference_Introduction.asp>`_ (MFC)
|
|
user interfaces
|
|
|
|
`PythonWin <http://web.archive.org/web/20060524042422/
|
|
http://www.python.org/windows/pythonwin/>`_ is a sample MFC application
|
|
shipped with PyWin32. It is an embeddable IDE with a built-in debugger.
|
|
|
|
.. seealso::
|
|
|
|
`Win32 How Do I...? <http://timgolden.me.uk/python/win32_how_do_i.html>`_
|
|
by Tim Golden
|
|
|
|
`Python and COM <http://www.boddie.org.uk/python/COM.html>`_
|
|
by David and Paul Boddie
|
|
|
|
|
|
Py2exe
|
|
------
|
|
|
|
`Py2exe <http://www.py2exe.org/>`_ is a :mod:`distutils` extension (see
|
|
:ref:`extending-distutils`) which wraps Python scripts into executable Windows
|
|
programs (:file:`{*}.exe` files). When you have done this, you can distribute
|
|
your application without requiring your users to install Python.
|
|
|
|
|
|
WConio
|
|
------
|
|
|
|
Since Python's advanced terminal handling layer, :mod:`curses`, is restricted to
|
|
Unix-like systems, there is a library exclusive to Windows as well: Windows
|
|
Console I/O for Python.
|
|
|
|
`WConio <http://newcenturycomputers.net/projects/wconio.html>`_ is a wrapper for
|
|
Turbo-C's :file:`CONIO.H`, used to create text user interfaces.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compiling Python on Windows
|
|
===========================
|
|
|
|
If you want to compile CPython yourself, first thing you should do is get the
|
|
`source <http://python.org/download/source/>`_. You can download either the
|
|
latest release's source or just grab a fresh `checkout
|
|
<http://www.python.org/dev/faq/#how-do-i-get-a-checkout-of-the-repository-read-only-and-read-write>`_.
|
|
|
|
For Microsoft Visual C++, which is the compiler with which official Python
|
|
releases are built, the source tree contains solutions/project files. View the
|
|
:file:`readme.txt` in their respective directories:
|
|
|
|
+--------------------+--------------+-----------------------+
|
|
| Directory | MSVC version | Visual Studio version |
|
|
+====================+==============+=======================+
|
|
| :file:`PC/VC6/` | 6.0 | 97 |
|
|
+--------------------+--------------+-----------------------+
|
|
| :file:`PCbuild/` | 7.1 | 2003 |
|
|
+--------------------+--------------+-----------------------+
|
|
| :file:`PCbuild8/` | 8.0 | 2005 |
|
|
+--------------------+--------------+-----------------------+
|
|
| :file:`PCbuild9/` | 9.0 | 2008 |
|
|
+--------------------+--------------+-----------------------+
|
|
|
|
Note that not all of these build directories are fully supported. Read the
|
|
release notes to see which compiler version the official releases for your
|
|
version are built with.
|
|
|
|
Check :file:`PC/readme.txt` for general information on the build process.
|
|
|
|
|
|
For extension modules, consult :ref:`building-on-windows`.
|
|
|
|
.. seealso::
|
|
|
|
`Python + Windows + distutils + SWIG + gcc MinGW <http://sebsauvage.net/python/mingw.html>`_
|
|
or "Creating Python extensions in C/C++ with SWIG and compiling them with
|
|
MinGW gcc under Windows" or "Installing Python extension with distutils
|
|
and without Microsoft Visual C++" by Sébastien Sauvage, 2003
|
|
|
|
`MingW -- Python extensions <http://www.mingw.org/MinGWiki/index.php/Python%20extensions>`_
|
|
by Trent Apted et al, 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other resources
|
|
===============
|
|
|
|
.. seealso::
|
|
|
|
`Python Programming On Win32 <http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/pythonwin32/>`_
|
|
"Help for Windows Programmers"
|
|
by Mark Hammond and Andy Robinson, O'Reilly Media, 2000,
|
|
ISBN 1-56592-621-8
|
|
|
|
`A Python for Windows Tutorial <http://www.imladris.com/Scripts/PythonForWindows.html>`_
|
|
by Amanda Birmingham, 2004
|
|
|