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Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	1	<HTML>
				2	<HEAD>
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	3	<TITLE>Using Python 1.5 on the Macintosh</TITLE>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	4	</HEAD>
				5	<BODY>
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	6	<H1>Using Python 1.5 on the Macintosh</H1>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	7	<HR>
				8
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	9	This document is an introduction to using Python on the Apple
				10	Macintosh. It does not introduce the language itself, for this you
				11	should refer to the <A
				12	HREF="http://www.python.org/doc/tut/tut.html">Python Tutorial</A> by
				13	Guido van Rossum. This guide more-or-less replaces chapter two of the
				14	tutorial, and provides some additional material. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	15
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	16	The tutorial, along with other indispensible documentation like the
				17	library reference and such, is also available in a number of different
				18	formats at <a href="ftp://ftp.python.org/pub/python/doc">
				19	ftp://ftp.python.org/pub/python/doc</a>. The Adobe Acrobat <code>.pdf</code>
				20	files are probably a good choice for reading or printing the documents
				21	from your mac. <p>
				22
Jack Jansen	0836542	1996-04-19 15:56:08 +0000	[diff] [blame]	23	There is currently no good tutorial for the mac-specific features of
				24	Python, but to whet your appetite: it has interfaces to many MacOS
				25	toolboxes (quickdraw, sound, quicktime, open scripting, etc) and
				26	various portable toolboxes are available too (Tk, stdwin, complex
				27	numbers, image manipulation, etc). Some <A HREF="index.html">
				28	annotated sample programs</A> are available to give you an idea of
				29	Python's power. <P>
				30
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	31	<h2>Invoking the interpreter</h2>
				32
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	33	The name of the interpreter may differ on different installations: it
Jack Jansen	04d5c58	1997-10-10 15:50:37 +0000	[diff] [blame]	34	may be called <CODE>PythonFAT</CODE> (for powerpc macs and 68K macs with
				35	CFM68K installed) or <CODE>Python68K</CODE> (for 68K macs).
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	36	It will always
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	37	be recognizable by the "16 ton" icon, though. You start the
Jack Jansen	0836542	1996-04-19 15:56:08 +0000	[diff] [blame]	38	interpreter in interactive mode by double-clicking its icon: <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	39
				40	<img src="html.icons/python.gif"><p>
				41
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	42	This should give you a text window with an informative version string
				43	and a prompt, something like the following:
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	44	<PRE>
Jack Jansen	cf70b84	1998-04-27 15:07:20 +0000	[diff] [blame]	45	Python 1.5.1 (#122 Aug 27, 1997) [CW PPC w/GUSI MSL]
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	46	Copyright 1991-1997 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	47	>>>
				48	</PRE>
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	49	The version string tells you the version of Python, whether it was
				50	built for PPC or 68K macs and possibly some options used to build the
				51	interpreter. If you find a bug or have a question about how the
				52	interpreter works it is a good idea to include the version information
				53	in your message. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	54
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	55	At the prompt you can type interactive python commands. See the
				56	tutorial for more information. The interactive window works
				57	more-or-less like a Communication Toolbox or Telnet window: you type
				58	commands at the bottom and terminate them with the <EM>[return]</EM>
				59	or <EM>[enter]</EM> key. Interpreter feedback also appears at the
				60	bottom of the window, and the contents scroll as output is added. You
				61	can use copy and paste in the normal way, but be sure to paste only at
				62	the bottom of the document.
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	63
				64	<h2>Creating Python scripts</h2>
				65
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	66	The Python interpreter works in a way that is different from what you
				67	would expect of a macintosh program: the interpreter is just that: an
				68	interpreter. There is no builtin editor or other development
				69	support. Hence, to create a Python script you need an external text
				70	editor. For a first script you can use any editor that can create
				71	plain, unstyled text files, such as <CODE>SimpleText</CODE>. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	72
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	73	For more serious scripts, though, it is advisable to use a programmers
				74	editor, such as <CODE>BBEdit</CODE> or <CODE>Alpha</CODE>. BBEdit is
				75	my favorite: it comes in a commercial version but also in a
				76	fully-functional free version <CODE>BBEdit Lite</CODE>. You can
				77	download it from the <A HREF="http://www.barebones.com/">BareBones</A>
				78	site. The free version will probably provide all the functionality
				79	you will ever need. Besides the standard edit facilities it has
				80	multi-file searches and many other goodies that can be very handy when
				81	editing programs. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	82
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	83	After you have created your script in the editor of your choice you
				84	drop it on the interpreter. This will start the interpreter executing
				85	the script, again with a console window in which the output appears
				86	and in which you can type input if the script requires it. Normally
				87	the interpreter will close the window and quit as soon as the script
				88	is done executing, see below under <A HREF="#startup">startup
				89	options</A> for a way to change this. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	90
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	91	<blockquote>
				92	There is a BBEdit extension available that allows you to run Python
				93	scripts more-or-less straight from your bbedit source window. Check
				94	out the <code>Mac:Tools:BBPy</code> folder.
				95	</blockquote>
				96
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	97	It is a good idea to have the names of all your scripts end in
				98	<CODE>.py</CODE>. While this is not necessary for standalone scripts
				99	it is needed for modules, and it is probably a good idea to start the
				100	habit now. <p>
				101
				102	If you do not like to start the Python interpreter afresh for each
				103	edit-run cycle you can use the <CODE>import</CODE> statement and
				104	<CODE>reload()</CODE> function to speed things up in some cases. Here
				105	is Guido's original comment for how to do this, from the 1.1 release
				106	notes: <P>
				107
Jack Jansen	0836542	1996-04-19 15:56:08 +0000	[diff] [blame]	108	<BLOCKQUOTE>
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	109
				110	Make sure the program is a module file (filename must be a Python
				111	identifier followed by '<CODE>.py</CODE>'). You can then import it
				112	when you test it for the first time. There are now three
				113	possibilities: it contains a syntax error; it gets a runtime error
				114	(unhandled exception); or it runs OK but gives wrong results. (If it
				115	gives correct results, you are done testing and don't need to read the
				116	rest of this paragraph. :-) Note that the following is not
				117	Mac-specific -- it's just that on UNIX it's easier to restart the
				118	entire script so it's rarely useful. <P>
				119
				120	Recovery from a syntax error is easy: edit the file and import it
				121	again. <P>
				122
				123	Recovery from wrong output is almost as easy: edit the file and,
				124	instead of importing it, call the function <CODE>reload()</CODE> with
				125	the module name as argument (e.g., if your module is called
				126	<CODE>foo</CODE>, type <CODE>reload(foo)</CODE>). <P>
				127
				128	Recovery from an exception is trickier. Once the syntax is correct, a
				129	'module' entry is placed in an internal table, and following import
				130	statements will not re-read the file, even if the module's
				131	initialization terminated with an error (one reason why this is done
				132	is so that mutually recursive modules are initialized only once). You
				133	must therefore force re-reading the module with <CODE>reload()</CODE>,
				134	however, if this happens the first time you try to import the module,
				135	the import statement itself has not completed, and your workspace does
				136	not know the module name (even though the internal table of moduesl
				137	does!). The trick is to first import the module again, then reload
				138	it. For instance, <CODE>import foo; reload(foo)</CODE>. Because the
				139	module object already exists internally, the import statement does not
				140	attempt to execute the module again -- it just places it in your
Jack Jansen	0836542	1996-04-19 15:56:08 +0000	[diff] [blame]	141	workspace. </BLOCKQUOTE>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	142
				143	<h2>Clickable python scripts</h2>
				144
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	145	If you create your script with the correct creator and type, creator
				146	<CODE>'Pyth'</CODE> and type <CODE>'TEXT'</CODE>, you can double-click
				147	your script and it will automatically invoke the interpreter. If you
				148	use BBEdit you can tell it about the Python file type by adding it to
				149	the "file types" sections of the preferences. Then, if you save a file
				150	for the first time you can tell BBEdit to save the file as a Python
				151	script through the "options" choice of the save dialog. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	152
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	153	The <CODE>Scripts</CODE> folder contains a script
				154	<CODE>fixfiletypes</CODE> that will recursively traverse a folder and
				155	set the correct creator and type for all files ending in
				156	<CODE>.py</CODE>. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	157
Jack Jansen	0836542	1996-04-19 15:56:08 +0000	[diff] [blame]	158	<BLOCKQUOTE>
				159	Older releases of Python used the creator code
				160	<CODE>'PYTH'</CODE> in stead of <CODE>'Pyth'</CODE>. If you still have
				161	older Python sources on your system and named them with
				162	<CODE>'.py'</CODE> extension the <CODE>fixfiletypes</CODE> script will
				163	correct them.
				164	</BLOCKQUOTE>
				165
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	166	<h2>Interaction with the user</h2>
				167
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	168	Normally, the interpreter will check for user input (mouse clicks,
				169	keyboard input) every once in a while, so it is possible to switch to
				170	other applications while a script runs. It is also possible to
				171	interrupt the interpreter with the standard command-period keypress,
				172	this will raise the <CODE>KeyboardInterrupt</CODE> exception. Scripts
				173	may, however, turn off this behaviour to facilitate their own event
				174	handling. Such scripts can only be killed with the
				175	command-option-escape shortcut.
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	176
				177	<h2><A NAME="startup">startup options</A></h2>
				178
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	179	If the <EM>option</EM> key is depressed when Python starts executing
				180	the interpreter will bring up an options dialog thru which you can
				181	influence the way the interpreter behaves. Keep the option key
				182	depressed until the dialog comes up. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	183
				184	<img src="html.icons/options.gif"><p>
				185
				186	The options modify the interpreters behaviour in the following way:
				187	<ul>
				188	<li> the interpreter goes to interactive mode (in stead of
				189	exiting) after a script has terminated normally,
				190	<li> for every module imported a line is printed telling you where the
				191	module was loaded from,
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	192	<li> do not print the values of expressions executed as statements in
				193	an interactive python (obsolete),
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	194	<li> do not buffer stdout and stderr,
				195	<li> print some debugging output during the parsing phase,
				196	<li> keep the output window open when a script terminates.
				197	</ul>
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	198	In addition, you can enter a unix-style command line which is passed
				199	to the script in <CODE>sys.argv</CODE>. Sys.argv[0] is always the name
				200	of the script being executed, additional values can be passed
				201	here. Quoting works as expected. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	202
Jack Jansen	22fa642	1996-09-05 15:15:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	203	<BLOCKQUOTE>
				204	<EM>Warning:</EM> redirecting standard input or standard output in the
				205	command-line dialog does not work. This is due to circumstances beyond my
				206	control, hence I cannot say when this will be fixed.
				207	</BLOCKQUOTE>
				208
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	209	The default options are also settable on a system-wide basis, see the
				210	section on <A HREF="#preferences">editing preferences</A>. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	211
				212	<h2>Module search path</h2>
				213
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	214	The module search path, <CODE>sys.path</CODE>, contains the folders
				215	python will search when you import a module. The path is settable on a
				216	system-wide basis (see the preferences section), and normally
				217	comprises the current folder (where the script lives), the
				218	<CODE>Lib</CODE> folder and some of its subfolders and possibly some
				219	more. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	220
				221	<h2>Working folder</h2>
				222
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	223	The unix concept of a <I>working directory</I> does not translate
				224	directly to a similar concept on the Macintosh. To facilitate easy
				225	porting and the use of relative pathnames in scripts the interpreter
				226	simulates a working directory. When a script is started the initial
				227	working directory is the folder where the script lives. In case of an
				228	interactive interpreter the working directory is the folder where the
				229	interpreter lives. <P>
				230
				231	By the way: the "standard file" folder, the folder that is presented
				232	to the user initially for an <I>open</I> or <I>save</I> dialog, does
				233	<EM>not</EM> follow the Python working directory. Which folder is
				234	initially shown to the user is usually one of (a) the application
				235	folder, (b) the "Documents" folder or (c) the folder most recently
				236	used for such a dialog (in any Python program). This is standard MacOS
				237	behaviour, so don't blame Python for it. The exact behaviour is
				238	settable through a control panel since System 7.5.
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	239
				240	<h2>Interactive startup file</h2>
				241
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	242	If the folder containing the interpreter contains a file named
				243	<CODE>PythonStartup</CODE> this file is executed when you start an
				244	interactive interpreter. In this file you could import modules you
				245	often use and other such things. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	246
				247
				248	<h2>Compiled python scripts</h2>
				249
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	250	Once a python module has been imported the interpreter creates a
				251	compiled version which is stored in a file with the ".py" extension
				252	replaced by ".pyc". These compiled files, with creator
				253	<CODE>'Pyth'</CODE> and type <CODE>'PYC '</CODE> load faster when
				254	imported (because they do not have to be parsed). The <CODE>Lib</CODE>
				255	folder contains a script <CODE>compileall.py</CODE>, running this
				256	script will cause all modules along the python search path to be
				257	precompiled, which will speed up your programs. Compiled files are
				258	also double-clickable. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	259
				260	<h2>Python resources</h2>
				261
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	262	MacPython has the ability to collect a number of compiled modules
				263	together in the resource fork of a single file. This feature is useful
				264	if you distribute a python program and want to minimize clutter: you
				265	can put all the needed modules in a single file (which could even be
				266	the interpreter itself). <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	267
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	268	If the module search path contains a filename as one of its entries
				269	(as opposed to a folder name, which is the normal case) this file will
				270	be searched for a resource with type <CODE>'PYC '</CODE> and a name
				271	matching the module being imported. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	272
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	273	The <CODE>scripts</CODE> folder contains a script
				274	<CODE>PackLibDir</CODE> which will convert a number of modules (or
				275	possibly a complete subtree full of modules) into such a resource
				276	file.
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	277
				278	<h2><A NAME="preferences">Setting interpreter preferences</A></h2>
				279
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	280	The python interpreter keeps a preferences file in the standard
				281	location in the system folder. In this preferences file it remembers
				282	the default module search path and the default settings for the
				283	runtime options. The preferences are settable via
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	284	<CODE>EditPythonPrefs</CODE>. For PPC/cfm68k python this is a standalone
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	285	program living in the main Python folder, for 68K python it is a
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	286	script in the <CODE>Mac:Scripts</CODE> folder. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	287
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	288	The interface to edit the preferences is rather clunky for the current
				289	release. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	290
				291	<img src="html.icons/preferences.gif"><p>
				292
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	293	In the editable text field at the top you enter the initial module
				294	search path, using newline as a separator. There are two special
				295	values you can use here: an initial substring <CODE>$(PYTHON)</CODE>
				296	will expand to the Python home folder and a value of
				297	<CODE>$(APPLICATION)</CODE> will expand to the the python application
				298	itself. Note that the text field may extend "beyond the bottom" even
				299	though it does not have a scroll bar. Using the arrow keys works,
				300	though.<p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	301
Jack Jansen	04d5c58	1997-10-10 15:50:37 +0000	[diff] [blame]	302	The Python home folder $(PYTHON) is initially, when you install Python,
				303	set to the folder where the interpreter lives. You can change it here. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	304
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	305	Finally, you can set the default startup options here, through a
				306	sub-dialog.
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	307
				308	<h2>Applets</h2>
				309
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	310	An applet is a fullblown application written in Python, similar to an
				311	AppleScript applet (and completely different from a Java
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	312	applet). Applets are currently supported on PowerPC macintoshes and on
				313	68K macintoshes if you use the CFM68K version of the interpreter,
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	314	and are created using the <CODE>BuildApplet</CODE> program. You create an
				315	applet by dropping the python source script onto BuildApplet.
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	316	<a href="example2.html">Example 2</a> is a more involved applet
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	317	with its own resource file, etc. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	318
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	319	Note that while an applet behaves as a fullblown Macintosh application
				320	it is not self-sufficient, so distributing it to a machine without an
				321	installed Python interpreter will not work: it needs the shared python
				322	execution engine <CODE>PythonCore</CODE>, and probably various modules
Jack Jansen	e272303	1996-10-22 15:29:15 +0000	[diff] [blame]	323	from the Lib and PlugIns folders. Distributing it to a machine that does
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	324	have a Python system will work. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	325
				326	<h2>Customizing applets</h2>
				327
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	328	Applets can have their own settings for the startup options and module
				329	search path. Dropping an applet on the <CODE>EditPythonPrefs</CODE>
				330	application allows you to set these, in the same way as
				331	double-clicking EditPythonPrefs allows you to set the system-wide
				332	defaults. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	333
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	334	Actually, not only applets but also the interpreter itself can have
				335	non-default settings for path and options. If you make a copy of the
				336	interpreter and drop this copy onto EditPythonPrefs you will have an
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	337	interpreter that has a different set of default settings. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	338
				339	<h2>Where to go from here</h2>
				340
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	341	The previously mentioned <A
				342	HREF="http://www.python.org/doc/tut/tut.html">Python Tutorial</A> is
				343	an excellent place to start reading if you have never used Python
				344	before. Other documentation such as the library reference manual is
				345	indexed at the <A HREF="http://www.python.org/doc/">Python
				346	Documentation</A> page. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	347
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	348	There are some <A HREF="index.html">annotated sample programs</A>
				349	available that show some mac-specific issues, like use of various
				350	toolboxes and creation of Python applets. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	351
Jack Jansen	cf70b84	1998-04-27 15:07:20 +0000	[diff] [blame]	352	The <CODE>Demo</CODE> and <CODE>Mac:Demo</CODE>
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	353	folders in the Macintosh distribution
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	354	contains a number of other example programs. Most of these are only
				355	very lightly documented, but they may help you to understand some
				356	aspects of using Python. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	357
Jack Jansen	cf70b84	1998-04-27 15:07:20 +0000	[diff] [blame]	358	Finally, there is a <code>Mac:Contrib</code> folder that contains
				359	a few contributions to Python that I couldn't fit in the normal tree
				360	but did want to distribute (many other contributions are contained
				361	throughout the distribution, but you don't see them, really).
				362
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	363	The best way to contact fellow Macintosh Python programmers is to join
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	364	the MacPython Special Interest Group mailing list. Send a message with
				365	"info" in the body to <A
				366	HREF="mailto:pythonmac-sig-request@python.org">pythonmac-sig-request@python.org</A>
				367	or view the <A
				368	HREF="http://www.python.org/sigs/pythonmac-sig/">Pythonmac SIG
				369	page</A> on the <A HREF="http://www.python.org">www.python.org</A> WWW
				370	server. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	371
				372	<h2>Troubleshooting</h2>
				373
Jack Jansen	e272303	1996-10-22 15:29:15 +0000	[diff] [blame]	374	A rather baffling error message can be "PythonCore not found" when you
				375	start the interpreter and you are sure that PythonCore is available. The
				376	message should actually say "Not enough memory in the system heap to
				377	load PythonCore".
				378	Blame Apple for the confusing message. <p>
				379
Jack Jansen	04d5c58	1997-10-10 15:50:37 +0000	[diff] [blame]	380	There appear to be problems with QuickTime for the CFM68K version of the
				381	interpreter. If you experience these please contact the SIG: some people
				382	use quicktime without problems and some not, and we are still hunting for
				383	the cause. <p>
				384
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	385	Python is a rather safe language, and hence it should be difficult to
				386	crash the interpreter of the system with a Python script. There is an
				387	exception to this rule, though: the modules that interface to the
				388	system toolboxes (windowing, quickdraw, etc) do very little error
				389	checking and therefore a misbehaving program using these modules may
				390	indeed crash the system. Such programs are unfortunately rather
				391	difficult to debug, since the crash does not generate the standard
				392	Python stack trace, obviously, and since debugging print statements
				393	will often interfere with the operation of the program. There is
				394	little to do about this currently. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	395
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	396	Probably the most common cause of problems with modules ported from
				397	other systems is the Mac end-of-line convention. Where unix uses
Jack Jansen	d9585c9	1996-05-07 15:28:20 +0000	[diff] [blame]	398	linefeed, 0x0a, to separate lines the mac uses carriage return,
				399	0x0d. To complicate matters more a lot of mac programming editors like
Jack Jansen	bd9565a	1996-04-15 12:25:44 +0000	[diff] [blame]	400	BBEdit and emacs will work happily with both conventions, so the file
				401	will appear to be correct in the editor but cause strange errors when
				402	imported. BBEdit has a popup menu which allows you to inspect (and
				403	set) the end-of-line convention used in a file. <p>
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	404
Jack Jansen	e272303	1996-10-22 15:29:15 +0000	[diff] [blame]	405	Python attempts to keep its preferences file up-to-date even when you
				406	move the Python folder around, etc. If this fails the effect will be
				407	that Python cannot start or, worse, that it does work but it cannot find
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	408	any standard modules. In this case, start Python and examine <code>sys.path</code>.
Jack Jansen	0fb1d82	1996-11-20 15:13:24 +0000	[diff] [blame]	409	If it is incorrect remove any Python preferences file from the system
Jack Jansen	e272303	1996-10-22 15:29:15 +0000	[diff] [blame]	410	folder and start the interpreter <em>while the interpreter sits in the main
Jack Jansen	3412c5d	1997-08-27 14:08:22 +0000	[diff] [blame]	411	Python folder</em>. This will regenerate the preferences file. You may also
				412	have to run the ConfigurePython applet again. <p>
Jack Jansen	e272303	1996-10-22 15:29:15 +0000	[diff] [blame]	413
Jack Jansen	cf70b84	1998-04-27 15:07:20 +0000	[diff] [blame]	414	<h2>Your five minutes are up. Next!</h2>
Jack Jansen	024a387	1996-07-18 16:07:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	415
				416	The next section to check out is the <a href="index.html">annotated sample programs</a>.<p>
				417
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	418	<HR>
				419	<A HREF="http://www.cwi.nl/~jack">Jack Jansen</A>,
Jack Jansen	cf70b84	1998-04-27 15:07:20 +0000	[diff] [blame]	420	<A HREF="mailto:jack@cwi.nl">jack@cwi.nl</A>, 27-Apr-98.
Jack Jansen	5f962c2	1996-04-10 14:52:59 +0000	[diff] [blame]	421
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