Movable Python: The Portable Python Distribution

Movable Python Reference

Movable Python in Action

The Reference Manual

Movable Python Menus
The Movable Python menu options.
The Options Dialog
Configuring the various options (usually of Python command line arguments) that your programs are run with.
Quick Launch
Configuring the programs launched by your Quick Launch buttons.
Choosing the Current Directory
Setting a specific directory to run scripts in.
Integrated Development Environment
Launching the IDE of your choice from Movable Python.
Movable Python and Multiple Interpreters
How to configure Movable Python and use it with multiple interpreters. This can include installed versions of Python or any executable.
Movable Python & Logging
Movable Python can log the output of all Python files that you run. This page will tell you how.
Command Line Options
Using Movable Python from the command line, including the special options unique to Movable Python.
The Special Files
The special files that Movable Python uses. (Including customize.py and the movpy module.)
Customizing Movable Python
Customizing your Movable Python distribution.
pywin32 Extensions and Movable Python
Using Movable Python with the Pywin32 extensions, like win32api.

Using Movable Python

Introduction
Menus
Script Controls
- Launch
- Script
- Folder Icon
- Green Arrow
Options and Args
- Configure
- Args
- Options
Quick Launch Buttons
IDE and Interactive Interpreter
- Interpreter
- IDE

Introduction

Movable Python, as well as being a portable version of Python, has a lot of functionality built into it. Some of this functionality is exposed via the command line, but a lot of it is only relevant from the GUI.

To use Movable Python, double click on movpy.exe or movpyw.exe. This will launch the GUI.

Note

Movable Python does not need installing.

To use, unzip the folder and go to the movpy folder. It can be run from any folder, including a USB memory stick or flash card.

This page covers the major elements of the GUI, and point to the relevant pages for features which merit further explanation.

Menus

Movable Python has various menu option. Some of them correspond to controls on the GUI. See the Menus page for more details.

Script Controls

The first row of controls on the GUI are directly related to choosing and launching scripts.

Launch

This button brings up a file dialog to select a script. It will be run immediately on selection.

Script

This text box takes a path to a script, relative to the Movable Python directory. It is also a drop-down list containing previous scripts.

Folder Icon

This icon brings up a file dialog to choose a script. The path to the file you choose will be placed in the script text box.

Green Arrow

This will run the file in the script text box.

Options and Args

Configure

This brings up the full options dialog. These configure the options that scripts are run with, most of these equate to command line options.

Args

Anything you put in this text box will be passed to scripts you run as command line arguments.

Options

These check boxes allow you to easily set and unset the most commonly used options.

These are :

f

Force script to run in its own directory, rather than the current directory.
p

Run scripts with psyco enabled.
b

Pause (break) after running scripts. (For non-Movable Python interpreters this will cause them to be run in a command console which drops down to the console after running.)
i

Enter an interactive interpreter session when the program exits.

Quick Launch Buttons

Movable Python provides eight quick launch buttons. These allow you to configure programs that you use frequently to be launched with a single push of a button (including setting options and passing command line arguments).

These can be setup through the Quick Launch Dialog.

IDE and Interactive Interpreter

These two buttons launch an interactive interpreter session or an IDE.

Interpreter

Clicking on the button marked >>> will launch an interactive interpreter session for the currently selected interpreter.

By default Movable Python uses IPython for the interactive interpreter. You can switch this off with the IPOFF option.

IDE

Movable Python comes with the pythonwin IDE. The SPE IDE also works with Movable Python. You can download this from the Extension Modules page.

You can use the IDE dialog to configure which program is launched by the IDE button.

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Part of the Movable Python Docs
Page last modified Sat Nov 25 22:45:56 2006.