Develop Reference

Is there a way to execute .py scripts from path in windows?

I would like to use a python script anywhere within command prompt. This is possible in unix, but I couldn't find anything for windows. Do I have to convert it to .exe?
Edit: not sure why this is being downvoted, maybe it's a silly question but I can't find any similar threads here and I can't be the first person to want to execute .py scripts from their path...
Edit 2: I think my wording was unclear. I would like to know a method to execute python scripts in Windows without needing to specify python path/to/script.py every time. Here is a solution on Linux where the shebang statement invokes the python interpreter, and the script in question can be easily placed in bin: How do I install a script to run anywhere from the command line? . Does there exist a solution like this for Windows?

Here's a solution for running myScript.py:
add to the myScript.py file a first line #!python (or #!python3 if you want to use Python 3)
For instance:
#!python
import sys
sys.stdout.write("hello from Python %s\n" % (sys.version,))
change the "opens with" property of myScript.py to py.exe (to find where it is use where py-- I have it in C:\Windows\py.exe)
put the script myScript.py somewhere in your Windows path
and now you should be able to type myScript.py anywhere in a command prompt and run the Python script with your chosen Python version.
See: https://docs.python.org/3.6/using/windows.html#from-the-command-line

Canopy get list of files in the shell

I'm using canopy python. The shell has commands "pwd" and "cd".
It even does autocomplete.
Is there a command - not something I have to write and keep track of - a built-in command that just lists the files in the directory.
I've tried ls, ls(), dir, dir(), directory, directory(), files, files(), filelist, filelist().
I've searched their documentation for listing files. It shows how to get a list of files in a python program - that's great. I do that all the time. I don't want to do that every time I want to list the contents of the current directory.
Is there a built-in shell command for this?

You can try
import os
fileList = os.listdir(directory_path)
so that you have the list of files in the python program to manipulate.
If you want the list of files in the current working directory in the way that ls would give you you can do.
fileList = os.listdir(os.getcwd())
If you really want a short command to type over and over you can write
ls = lambda : os.listdir(os.getcwd())
and then it will run this command when you type
ls()

You can use the python built in module, os, to query a directory using the system method. Please see below.
import os
os.system("dir")
Update
Please keep in mind that my solution is OS specific (i.e. ls vs dir) so Jon's solution is preferable.

The premise of the question seems inconsistent. If you can do the ipython pwd or cd standard magic commands, then you should also be able to access the ipython standard alias ls. If you cannot, then it almost certainly because you've overwritten / shadowed the meaning of the ls alias.
It's crucial to distinguish between (1) a plain Python shell (opened by typing python at a Canopy command prompt), which does not provide pwd nor cd nor 'lscommands; and (2) *any* IPython shell, whether the Python panel in the Canopy GUI or anipython` terminal in the Canopy Command Prompt, which does provide those, and many other Ipython "magic" commands.
(For more about IPython magic commands, see http://ipython.readthedocs.io/en/stable/interactive/magics.html; these are the docs for IPython version 6, but they are mostly the same for IPython version 5 which Canopy uses in order to support both Python 2.7 and Python 3.5+.)
The two previous answers are always correct in that they will work in any Python program or shell (depending on OS). That is because they only use the Python standard library. However they are not analogous to the cd and pwd commands that you mention, which are specific to the IPython shell (not to programs running in an IPython shell).
IMO, there is very seldom a good reason for opening a plain Python shell. If you simply want to run a script file from a Command Prompt, then by all means python myscript.py. But if you want an interactive shell, IPython provides so much extra capability that it has been for many years the de facto standard for Python shells (which is why it is used for the Canopy GUI's Python shell).

Got a note back from Canopy Support).
There is an environment variable, COMSPEC that was set to:
C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe;
That semicolon at the end is wrong. This is a single directory and not a list of directories. I removed that semicolon and suddenly the 'ls' command works as I remember!

How can I run the Python3 interpreter with variables/references/etc as defined in a python file?

I'm new to python and enjoying learning the language. I like using the interpreter in real time, but I still don't understand completely how it works. I would like to be able to define my environment with variables, imports, functions and all the rest then run the interpreter with those already prepared. When I run my files (using PyCharm, Python 3.6) they just execute and exit.
Is there some line to put in my .py files like a main function that will invoke the interpreter? Is there a way to run my .py files from the interpreter where I can continue to call functions and declare variables?
I understand this is a total newbie question, but please explain how to do this or why I'm completely not getting it.

I think you're asking three separate things, but we'll count it as one question since it's not obvious that they are different things:
1. Customize the interactive interpreter
I would like to be able to define my environment with variables, imports, functions and all the rest then run the interpreter with those already prepared.
To customize the environment of your interactive interpreter, define the environment variable PYTHONSTARTUP. How you do that depends on your OS. It should be set to the pathname of a file (use an absolute path), whose commands will be executed before you get your prompt. This answer (found by Tobias) shows you how. This is suitable if there is a fixed set of initializations you would always like to do.
2. Drop to the interactive prompt after running a script
When I run my files (using PyCharm, Python 3.6) they just execute and exit.
From the command line, you can execute a python script with python -i scriptname.py and you'll get an interactive prompt after the script is finished. Note that in this case, PYTHONSTARTUP is ignored: It is not a good idea for scripts to run in a customized environment without explicit action.
3. Call your scripts from the interpreter, or from another script.
Is there a way to run my .py files from the interpreter where I can continue to call functions and declare variables?
If you have a file myscript.py, you can type import myscript in the interactive Python prompt, or put the same in another script, and your script will be executed. Your environment will then have a new module, myscript. You could use the following variant to import your custom definitions on demand (assuming a file myconfig.py where Python can find it):
from myconfig import *
Again, this is not generally a good idea; your programs should explicitly declare all their dependencies by using specific imports at the top.

You can achieve the result you intend by doing this:
Write a Python file with all the imports you want.
Call your script as python -i myscript.py.
Calling with -i runs the script then drops you into the interpreter session with all of those imports, etc. already executed.
If you want to save yourself the effort of calling Python that way every time, add this to your .bashrc file:
alias python='python -i /Users/yourname/whatever/the/path/is/myscript.py'

You set the environment variable PYTHONSTARTUP as suggested in this answer:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/11124610/1781434

How do you run a Python script in a newer Python interpreter?

I am using several applications that are using different versions of Python:
Nuke - 2.7
3Dequalizer - 2.6
linux - 2.6.6
I am getting various problems trying to get them all to communicate with one another, so I was wondering if it's possible to change Python interpreter during a script.
E.g. Start in 2.6, then run a Python script in 2.7 from a script in 2.6
EDIT:
nuke_install = "/path/to/nuke"
cmd = nukeLauncher + " -t"
os.system(cmd)
The -t flag allows for nuke to be run without a GUI. This code works when run in a Python interpreter, but when I run via a Python script in 3dequalizer it gives me the:
ImportError: No module named site
To add another level of confusion, I can import site inside 3dequalizer. The sys.path for 3dequalizer contains the same paths as when run directly from the interpreter, with a few additions for the python lib that comes with 3de.
Also PYTHONPATH is empty inside 3dequalizer. Does this matter if sys.path is pointing to the right paths?

I am not sure it is really the way to go; but if you really want to do it, you could use the os.system command with somthing like:
os.system("python2.7 myscript.py")
which will execute the program python2.7 (as long as it is in your executable path) with the name of the script as its argument (before returning to the current) statement in your initial script.
But honestly, I think you should do it in some other way. Regards.

How do I change directory in python so it remains after running the script?

I'm trying to change the terminal directory through a python script. I've seen this post and others like it so I know about os.chdir, but it's not working the way I'd like. os.chdir appears to change the directory, but only for the python script. For instance I have this code.
#! /usr/bin/env python
import os
os.chdir("/home/chekid/work2/")
print os.getcwd()
Unfortunately after running I'm still in the directory of the python script (e.g. /home/chekid) rather than the directory I want to be in. See below.
gandalf(pts/42):~> pwd
/home/chekid
gandalf(pts/42):~> ./changedirectory.py
/home/chekid/work2
gandalf(pts/42):~> pwd
/home/chekid
Any thoughts on what I should do?
Edit: Looks like what I'm trying to do doesn't exist in 'normal' python. I did find a work around, although it doesn't look so elegant to me.
cd `./changedirectory.py`

You can't. The shell's current directory belongs to the shell, not to you.
(OK, you could ptrace(2) the shell and make it call chdir(2), but that's probably not a great design, won't work on Windows, and I would not begin to know how to do it in pure Python except that you'd probably have to mess around with ctypes or something similar.)
You could launch a subshell with your current working directory. That might be close enough to what you need:
os.chdir('/path/to/somewhere')
shell = os.environ.get('SHELL', '/bin/sh')
os.execl(shell, shell)
# execl() does not return; it replaces the Python process with a new shell process
The original shell will still be there, so make sure you don't leave it hanging around. If you initially call Python with the exec builtin (e.g. exec python /path/to/script.py), then the original shell will be replaced with the Python process and you won't have to worry about this. But if Python exits without launching the shell, you'll be left with no shell open at all.

You can if you cheat: Make a bash script that calls your python script. The python script returns the path you want to change directory to. Then the bash script does the acctual chdir. Of course you would have to run the bash script in your bash shell using "source".

The current working directory is an attribute of a process. It cannot be changed by another program, such as changing the current working directory in your shell by running a separate Python program. This is why cd is always a shell built-in command.

You can make your python print the directory you want to move to, and then call your script with cd "$(./python-script.py)". In condition your script actually does not print anything else.