On Aug 23, 2012, at 12:59 PM, Steven D'Aprano <st...@pearwood.info> wrote:
> On 23/08/12 23:18, Cecilia Chavana-Bryant wrote: > [...] >> I found this command: >> mkdir -p i/like/icecream. I am guessing that the -p stands for directory >> path? > > Ha, that's the trouble with command line interfaces -- they tend to end up > being cryptic and painfully terse. In this case, -p actually stands for > "parents", in the sense that mkdir is trying to create the folder "icecream" > inside the parent folder "like", inside the grandparent folder "i". If any > of the parent folders are missing, the -p option says to create the missing > folders. > > I don't want to put you off learning about the command line, because > knowledge is good. I've never learned something and then thought "I wish > I was more ignorant". But honestly, you don't need to be a command line > expert to make use of Python's interactive interpreter. To get started, > all you need is one command: > > python > > > and then press the ENTER key. That brings up Python's interactive > interpreter, which uses Python syntax rather than the shell's rather > cryptic commands and options. > While all that is true, I'm pretty sure she is going to need enough knowledge of the simplest -NIX commands to edit .py files, rename them occasionally, organize them into appropriate directories ('/working', '/development', and '/archive' as possible examples), and occasionally change a permission or two (-x for example). Ultimately, she will need to be able to examine her .profile (remember, she is running OS-X) file and possibly edit it. Finally, there are at least a few things that can be done most expeditiously, even in python, by spawning a python subtask and running a UNIX command there. I agree that she may never need to do shell programming (OS-X uses bash), but knowing the basics WILL be needed. -Bill > (Of course, the python command also takes a bunch of optional, and > useful. command switches, but you can learn them as you go.) > > By all means continue with the command line book if you are getting > something useful out of it, but don't think you *have* to learn the > shell in order to use Python. The two are independent. > > > > -- > Steven > _______________________________________________ > Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org > To unsubscribe or change subscription options: > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org To unsubscribe or change subscription options: http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor