I am new to Python and Visual Studio Code. When I try to use the input() statement and run the code, the terminal window shows the prompt which I have included in the statement but does not show a curser after the prompt where the user should type in the input. I need to mouse click in the terminal window after the prompt and then press enter for the input to be accepted. This doesn't seem right. Any ideas?
If you run a python script in an IDE, it will fire up an integrated terminal and will execute the program by doing something like python <your_file_name>.py.
This process isn't supposed to change the IDE's focus to the terminal. Because often times, developers like to have their editor in focus even though their program is running in the terminal. And hence VSCode is developed to behave this way. You can see this exact behaviour in many modern IDEs.
Related
I am using visual studio code to run a simple program, but every time I run the program in terminal, once it is finished it gets stuck as if I am still in python in the terminal. I say this because it leaves me with the three arrows after I finish the program.
">>>"
(i.e. I need to go down to the integrated terminal window in VSC and type exit() before I run the program again or it will throw invalid syntax errors because VSC is trying to use bash command line commands while I am still in python.
Terminal
You can select Run Python File in Terminal instead of Run Selection/Line in Python Terminal, equals click the run button on the top-left of the VSCode.
And if you want to get out of python, you can take the shortcut of Ctrl+Z too.
I have some Python scripts which I am running in Windows using Command Prompt by entering the following command: python -m scriptname.
I have noticed that quite often, these scripts randomly pause and stop running. I can resume them by typing any key in Command Prompt, but I have no idea why this is happening or how to prevent it all together. Has anybody encountered a similar problem, and does anybody have any suggestions they may be able to offer?
Right click on the cmd window, and click on properties. Check if you have QuickEdit Mode on. If you do, uncheck that box.
This is a known issue for command prompt that if you click on the window, it will enter select mode, which will pause the program.
is there a way to configure VS Code to automatically clear the terminal right before I run a Python file, for example? I searched a lot for that but without success. Whenever I try to run a file in terminal, previous runs are still there in the terminal, and it gets kinda confusing. Notice that I want to clear the terminal when I run the code in terminal (i.e. when I click the play button), not when I run with debugging. My idea is to always have the terminal empty when I run a file. Any thoughts?
Currently in VS Code, it does not automatically clear the terminal data settings, but you could use the command "clear" in the VS Code terminal to clear the previous output data, or click the'kill' icon to delete the current terminal and use the shortcut key Ctrl+Shift+` to open a new VS Code terminal.
What are the key differences between Python's IDLE and its command line environment? IDLE looks nicer, of course, and has some kind of GUI...
Moreover, is IDLE treated the same as the shell? I mean, the shell is the middle layer between the user and Python's interpreter?
They are both the same thing but, IDLE is made to write python code so its better if you can to write on IDLE. You can also try Notepad++ its a pretty good program to write code on.
I am not sure what you question is, but here is a Windows-7 oriented answer of similarity and difference. In the start menu for Python x.y, you can select 'Python x.y (x bits)' to run python interactive in a text-line-oriented console window provided by Microsoft. The console handles key presses and mouse movements and clicks. When you hit , the console sends the line of text to python, which is waiting for input on sys.stdin. When Python processes the line, it sends output to sys.stdout or sys.stderr. This includes '>>> ' and '... ' prompts. The console displays the text for you to see.
In the start menu, you can instead select 'Idle ...'. Unless you have previously selected a different startup option, python run Idle code which uses the tkinter module which used tcl/tk to run a graphical user interface that somewhat imitates the console. The tkinter/tk gui handles key and mouse input and displays output. In both cases, some software besides the Python interpreter itself handles interaction between you and Python.
Some important differences:
Cut, copy, and paste work normally. The Windows console is crippled in this respect.
Idle colors input and output. The Windows console does not.
Idle can display all unicode BMP (the first 64K) chars. The Windows console is limited by code pages.
For 1, 2, and 3, the console of other OSes may do as well or better than Idle.
Idle lets you enter, edit, send, and retrieve complete statements. Interactive python with Windows console only works with physical lines.
Update, 2017/11:
Item 1 above: At least on current Win10, cut, copy, and paste work normally.
Item 3 above: At least on Win10, unicode works better in Command Prompt with 3.6+.
New item 5: The IDLE doc section, also available as Help => IDLE Help now has section '3.3. IDLE-console differences'.
IDLE is a very simple Integrated Development Environment. It runs the same python, libraries etc. as commant-line.
Even more basic (with less features) is IPython. Full feature IDE for Python is, for example, Eclipse with PyDev plugin, or LiClipse.
Python IDLE is where you write your program/s and Python Shell is where you run your program/s.
This question already has answers here:
How do I run a Python program in the Command Prompt in Windows 7?
(24 answers)
Closed 7 years ago.
So I'm an extreme beginner to programming, just starting the Python class on Coursera. Using Python 2.7.10
Anyway, I made a simple print statement script in Notepad++
print "Hello World"
and saved as a python file on my desktop
newprog.py
However when I try to run it a cmd window appears and disappears and I'm not quite sure whats wrong.
The other question that this was linked as a duplicate to is about accessing python through the command prompt, which I don't have a problem with. From answers given it is now apparent to me that my dilemma was due to an erroneous belief that the interpreter would remain open after running whatever script I wrote.
Sounds like your program simply opened, ran and exited. So nothing was wrong, it just all happened a bit quick for you to see it.
You should run it from a command prompt or get an IDE like Pycharm, which will allow you to both write and run your script in one program.
To run from command prompt, use either Windows Key + R and type 'cmd' or click start and type 'cmd' into search box. Then you can drag your script to the command prompt window and press Enter to run it.
If you wanted to run it by double click, you'd need something to stop it from finishing until you'd read the message. To achieve this you can use the raw_input function, which waits for user input.
So your script would then look like
print "Hello World"
raw_input("Press Enter to exit")
Then you could double click and press enter when you are ready to exit.
Go to the command prompt window
python
then type in
execfile('path to newfile.py here')
Your file will now be executed
I'm running python 3.4.3. But it should be the same, I hope.
Go go "..\PythonXX\Lib\idlelib" and look for idle.pyw NOT idle.py and using the you're able to execute simple one line commands like the one you have up there.
From that you can also create a new file and do more complicated stuff.
If you create a shortcut to your desktop, you'll be able to access it easier.
Let me know if it helps, or at least correct path.
Your script is probably working and then finishing, the result is shown but not for long. I recommend opening the console and running your script from there, or you could use a simple batch file to run python scripts and then wait for a key press.
To open the console you can use the Windows key along the R key, Win-R (to run a new process) and write cmd, or you look for cmd in your Window's start menu.
With the console opened, you must locate the path where your script is, you can use the cd (Change Directory) to get there, for example:
cd C:\Users\your_name\Desktop
and then write:
python newprog.py
to run your script.
Another option is to use this simple batch file (save it as python34.bat or similar, but the extension must be .bat, put it wherever you like):
#ECHO OFF
C:\Python34\python.exe %*
pause
#ECHO ON
And then use that to run your scripts by right clicking a python script file, open with (run with) and use this batch script as default (if you want). Also, if you have another version of Python, or is installed elsewhere, you must change the "C:\Python34\" part.
This is a computer we're talking about here. It might take you triple the time it takes a computer to multiple two numbers for example. With this notion in mind, the computer quickly prints then exits.
raw_input() # at the end of script wait for user to supply input, delaying script exit