python for mac

darklow

I have started learning python language, and while its very interesting and i can understand most of the tutorials ok, thay all seem to be for windows. i know the code is the same on any platform but when i follow the directions to save the file with .py at the end somewhere, and try to open it, it just opens the IDLE window with all the code in it.

In whatever tutorials I see, when the .py file is clicked it opens just with whatever 'enter name' command that was written, without all the code.

Is there a different way to save .py files on a mac?

Herbal Deity

Open a terminal and type 'python myfile.py'?

darklow

nope, if i type that into the terminal it just comes up no such file or directory, i have it in a file on the desktop, do i have to specify a path to python where the files are? if so how?

also i need to be able to save the applications i make to be opened by anybody without terminal or python

im working at the moment with a graphical language called max/msp for music programme, tis cool but i want to branch out into python too

ethernet

darklow wrote: »

nope, if i type that into the terminal it just comes up no such file or directory, i have it in a file on the desktop, do i have to specify a path to python where the files are? if so how?

You need to change directory first (to your desktop). When you open the terminal, you'll be in your home directory

/Users/<username>/

so you need to:

cd Desktop

first.

Well, that or:

python Desktop/foobar.py

Now try it!

darklow

cool man cheers that worked! do i have to type that path it every time? when i try open it with:

python myfile.py

it doesn't.


also, is there a way i can save the .py file so i can open it straight away without terminal? the tutorials seem to show it being opened from the desktop/folder like a normal application

mach1982

Mac use the mach kernel, which is UNIX based, so if look to learn to use command line just google linux/unix there 99% the same

Cool Mo D

darklow wrote: »

cool man cheers that worked! do i have to type that path it every time? when i try open it with:

python myfile.py

it doesn't.


also, is there a way i can save the .py file so i can open it straight away without terminal? the tutorials seem to show it being opened from the desktop/folder like a normal application

A good program to use is http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/
This is a texteditor like IDLE, but has a some nicer features. One of them is that it has 'run' as a command in the menu bar. So if you use it to write your python programs, you can run them directly from the editor.

If you want the scripts to run when you click on them, a way that should work (but I haven't tried, so maybe it doesn't!) is to click on a script, press option-i to get the Inspector window, and set the script to open with the python interpreter program by default.

If you save your python programs in the desktop, you can open the terminal, type:

cd ~/Desktop
python myfile.py

and it will work.

cd is the Unix change working directory command. The ~ is Unix shorthand for your home directory - it is the same as /Users/Me.