mirror of https://github.com/python/cpython.git
283 lines
8.1 KiB
Groff
283 lines
8.1 KiB
Groff
.TH PYTHON "1" "5 September, 2000"
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.SH NAME
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python \- an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented programming language
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.SH SYNOPSIS
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.B python
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[
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.B \-d
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]
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[
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.B \-i
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]
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[
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.B \-O
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]
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[
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.B \-S
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]
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[
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.B \-t
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]
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[
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.B \-u
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]
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[
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.B \-v
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]
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[
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.B \-x
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]
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[
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.B \-h
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]
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[
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.B \-V
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]
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.br
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[
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.B \-c
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.I command
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.I script
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\-
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]
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[
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.I arguments
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]
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.SH DESCRIPTION
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Python is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented programming
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language that combines remarkable power with very clear syntax.
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For an introduction to programming in Python you are referred to the
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Python Tutorial.
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The Python Library Reference documents built-in and standard types,
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constants, functions and modules.
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Finally, the Python Reference Manual describes the syntax and
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semantics of the core language in (perhaps too) much detail.
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(These documents may be located via the
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.B "INTERNET RESOURCES"
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below; they may be installed on your system as well.)
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.PP
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Python's basic power can be extended with your own modules written in
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C or C++.
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On most systems such modules may be dynamically loaded.
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Python is also adaptable as an extension language for existing
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applications.
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See the internal documentation for hints.
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.SH COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
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.TP
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.B \-d
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Turn on parser debugging output (for wizards only, depending on
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compilation options).
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.TP
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.B \-i
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When a script is passed as first argument or the \fB\-c\fP option is
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used, enter interactive mode after executing the script or the
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command. It does not read the $PYTHONSTARTUP file. This can be
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useful to inspect global variables or a stack trace when a script
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raises an exception.
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.TP
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.B \-O
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Turn on basic optimizations. This changes the filename extension for
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compiled (bytecode) files from
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.I .pyc
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to \fI.pyo\fP. Given twice, causes docstrings to be discarded.
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.TP
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.B \-S
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Disable the import of the module
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.I site
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and the site-dependent manipulations of
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.I sys.path
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that it entails.
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.TP
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.B \-t
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Issue a warning when a source file mixes tabs and spaces for
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indentation in a way that makes it depend on the worth of a tab
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expressed in spaces. Issue an error when the option is given twice.
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.TP
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.B \-u
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Force stdin, stdout and stderr to be totally unbuffered.
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.TP
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.B \-v
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Print a message each time a module is initialized, showing the place
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(filename or built-in module) from which it is loaded. When given
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twice, print a message for each file that is checked for when
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searching for a module. Also provides information on module cleanup
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at exit.
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.TP
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.B \-x
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Skip the first line of the source. This is intended for a DOS
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specific hack only. Warning: the line numbers in error messages will
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be off by one!
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.TP
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.B \-h
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Prints the usage for the interpreter executable and exits.
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.TP
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.B \-V
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Prints the Python version number of the executable and exits.
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.TP
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.BI "\-c " command
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Specify the command to execute (see next section).
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This terminates the option list (following options are passed as
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arguments to the command).
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.SH INTERPRETER INTERFACE
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The interpreter interface resembles that of the UNIX shell: when
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called with standard input connected to a tty device, it prompts for
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commands and executes them until an EOF is read; when called with a
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file name argument or with a file as standard input, it reads and
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executes a
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.I script
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from that file;
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when called with
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.B \-c
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.I command,
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it executes the Python statement(s) given as
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.I command.
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Here
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.I command
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may contain multiple statements separated by newlines.
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Leading whitespace is significant in Python statements!
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In non-interactive mode, the entire input is parsed befored it is
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executed.
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.PP
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If available, the script name and additional arguments thereafter are
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passed to the script in the Python variable
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.I sys.argv ,
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which is a list of strings (you must first
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.I import sys
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to be able to access it).
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If no script name is given,
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.I sys.argv[0]
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is an empty string; if
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.B \-c
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is used,
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.I sys.argv[0]
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contains the string
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.I '-c'.
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Note that options interpreted by the Python interpreter itself
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are not placed in
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.I sys.argv.
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.PP
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In interactive mode, the primary prompt is `>>>'; the second prompt
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(which appears when a command is not complete) is `...'.
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The prompts can be changed by assignment to
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.I sys.ps1
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or
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.I sys.ps2.
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The interpreter quits when it reads an EOF at a prompt.
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When an unhandled exception occurs, a stack trace is printed and
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control returns to the primary prompt; in non-interactive mode, the
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interpreter exits after printing the stack trace.
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The interrupt signal raises the
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.I Keyboard\%Interrupt
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exception; other UNIX signals are not caught (except that SIGPIPE is
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sometimes ignored, in favor of the
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.I IOError
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exception). Error messages are written to stderr.
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.SH FILES AND DIRECTORIES
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These are subject to difference depending on local installation
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conventions; ${prefix} and ${exec_prefix} are installation-dependent
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and should be interpreted as for GNU software; they may be the same.
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The default for both is \fI/usr/local\fP.
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.IP \fI${exec_prefix}/bin/python\fP
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Recommended location of the interpreter.
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.PP
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.I ${prefix}/lib/python<version>
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.br
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.I ${exec_prefix}/lib/python<version>
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.RS
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Recommended locations of the directories containing the standard
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modules.
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.RE
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.PP
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.I ${prefix}/include/python<version>
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.br
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.I ${exec_prefix}/include/python<version>
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.RS
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Recommended locations of the directories containing the include files
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needed for developing Python extensions and embedding the
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interpreter.
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.RE
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.IP \fI~/.pythonrc.py\fP
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User-specific initialization file loaded by the \fIuser\fP module;
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not used by default or by most applications.
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.SH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
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.IP PYTHONHOME
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Change the location of the standard Python libraries. By default, the
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libraries are searched in ${prefix}/lib/python<version> and
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${exec_prefix}/lib/python<version>, where ${prefix} and ${exec_prefix}
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are installation-dependent directories, both defaulting to
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\fI/usr/local\fP. When $PYTHONHOME is set to a single directory, its value
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replaces both ${prefix} and ${exec_prefix}. To specify different values
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for these, set $PYTHONHOME to ${prefix}:${exec_prefix}.
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.IP PYTHONPATH
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Augments the default search path for module files.
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The format is the same as the shell's $PATH: one or more directory
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pathnames separated by colons.
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Non-existant directories are silently ignored.
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The default search path is installation dependent, but generally
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begins with ${prefix}/lib/python<version> (see PYTHONHOME above).
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The default search path is always appended to $PYTHONPATH.
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If a script argument is given, the directory containing the script is
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inserted in the path in front of $PYTHONPATH.
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The search path can be manipulated from within a Python program as the
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variable
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.I sys.path .
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.IP PYTHONSTARTUP
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If this is the name of a readable file, the Python commands in that
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file are executed before the first prompt is displayed in interactive
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mode.
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The file is executed in the same name space where interactive commands
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are executed so that objects defined or imported in it can be used
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without qualification in the interactive session.
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You can also change the prompts
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.I sys.ps1
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and
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.I sys.ps2
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in this file.
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.IP PYTHONDEBUG
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If this is set to a non-empty string it is equivalent to specifying
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the \fB\-d\fP option.
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.IP PYTHONINSPECT
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If this is set to a non-empty string it is equivalent to specifying
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the \fB\-i\fP option.
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.IP PYTHONUNBUFFERED
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If this is set to a non-empty string it is equivalent to specifying
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the \fB\-u\fP option.
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.IP PYTHONVERBOSE
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If this is set to a non-empty string it is equivalent to specifying
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the \fB\-v\fP option.
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.SH AUTHOR
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.nf
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Guido van Rossum
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BeOpen.com
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160 Saratoga Avenue
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Santa Clara, CA 95051
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USA
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.PP
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E-mail: guido@beopen.com, guido@python.org
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.fi
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.PP
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And a cast of thousands.
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.SH INTERNET RESOURCES
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Main website: http://www.python.org
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.br
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BeOpen development team: http://pythonlabs.com
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.br
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Community website: http://starship.python.net
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.br
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Developer resources:
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.br
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http://sourceforge.net/project/?group_id=5470
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.br
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FTP: ftp://ftp.python.org/pub/python
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.br
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Module repository: http://www.vex.net/parnassus/
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.br
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Newsgroups: comp.lang.python, comp.lang.python.announce
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.SH LICENSING
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Python is distributed under an Open Source license. See the file
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"LICENSE" in the Python source distribution for information on terms &
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conditions for accessing and otherwise using Python and for a
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DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.
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