Double clicking python.exe will give you the command line version. To run IDLE, click Start -> Programs -> Python 2.x -> IDLE.
pythonw.exe is useful for running GUI scripts. In Windows there are two types of programs: command line and gui programs. python.exe is the command line version. Suppose you write a Tk or a wxWindows program with python and you save it to a file. You can still use python.exe to run that gui program, but it'll open an extra black window with nothing in it. That's what pythonw.exe is for. It can't give you a command line (which is why it disappears right away when you double click it), but it also doesn't open than extra window when you use it to run a gui application. Adam Beginner/Not Yet Programmer wrote: > I've never programmed before, so I thought I'd try and learn a bit by > using some Python tutorials. I started using the tutorial at > http://www.honors.montana.edu/~jjc/easytut/easytut/node3.html. It > mentioned different forms of Python, specifically Command Line and > IDLE. Being inexperienced, I'm not sure how to change from Command > Line to IDLE, and I'm not sure which one I'm in when I start up the > program. In my Python folder, the only applications I have are > python.exe and pythonw.exe. Pythonw.exe won't run. So, I run > python.exe, and I'm not sure whether it is IDLE, Command Line, or > neither. Also, I'm unsure of how to save programs, considering when I > run python.exe, it opens up a window which does not have the little bar > with the "File", "Edit", "View" and "Help" buttons on it. If you can > help me out at all, thank you. > -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
