Oscar Benjamin wrote: > Paul wrote: >> Given that the installer includes the py.exe launcher, if you leave the >> defaults, then at a command prompt "python" doesn't work. But that's fine, >> because "py" does. And if you have multiple versions of Python installed, you >> don't *want* python on PATH, because then you have to manage your PATH. Why >> bother when "py -2.7" or "py -3.3" does what you want with no path >> management? >> Once you want any *other* executables, though, you have to deal with PATH >> (especially in the multiple Pythons case). That is a new issue, and one that >> hasn't been thought through yet, and we don't have a good solution. > > From a user perspective I think that 'py -3.4 -m pip ...' is an improvement as > it means I can easily install or upgrade for a particular python installation > (I > tend to have a few). There's no need to put Scripts on PATH just to run pip. I > think this should be the recommended invocation for Windows users.
Crazy idea: py install <other args> (or 'py --install ...', but I think 'py install' is currently invalid and could be used?) which the launcher executes identically to: py -m pip install <other args> (Implicitly extended to other relevant commands... I'm not proposing a complete list.) Pros: * allows implicit bootstrapping on first use (from a bundled pip, IMO, in case no network is available) * multiple Python versions are handled nicely and consistently ('py -3.3 install ...') * can minimize officially supported API surface (as Paul described at the start of this thread) * pip becomes an internal implementation detail that can be entirely replaced * one less character of typing (slightly tongue-in-cheek, but some people count :) ) Cons: * doesn't apply on *nix (or does/could it?) * requires the most new code of any of the options * more difficult to update the launcher than a user-installed package * others that I can't think of because I'm suffering from confirmation bias? Thoughts? Cheers, Steve _______________________________________________ Distutils-SIG maillist - Distutils-SIG@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/distutils-sig