Python in a Nutshell

Chapter 3. The Python Interpreter

To develop software systems in Python, you produce text files that contain Python source code and documentation. You can use any text editor, including those in Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). You then process the source files with the Python compiler and interpreter. You can do this directly, or implicitly inside an IDE, or via another program that embeds Python. The Python interpreter also lets you execute Python code interactively, as do IDEs.

The python Program

The Python interpreter program is run as python (it’s named python.exe on Windows). python includes both the interpreter itself and the Python compiler, which is implicitly invoked, as needed, on imported modules. Depending on your system, the program may have to be in a directory listed in your PATH environment variable. Alternatively, as with any other program, you can give a complete pathname to it at the command (shell) prompt, or in the shell script (or .BAT file, shortcut target, etc.) that runs it.^[1] On Windows, you can also use Start → Programs → Python 2.2 → Python (command line).

Environment Variables

Besides PATH, other environment variables affect the python program. Some environment variables have the same effects as options passed to python on the command line; these are documented in the next section. A few provide settings not available via command-line options:

PYTHONHOME

The Python installation directory. A lib subdirectory, containing the standard Python ...