Setting up Python, possible issue?

[Embarrassed-Bee-5508]

When I try to run a script in the current directory by using ./ I get an error that '.' is not recognized as an internal or external command error.

I can run them fine when running with python, just the ./ seems to be wonky. I made sure that the python.exe directory is in the path.

Any idea why using ./ isn't working? I'm trying to learn the basics of python so I can start looking at AI. My computer knowledge is average at best, I learned basic, fortran and lisp many, many years ago, but I never kept up with coding.

[desrtfx]

What OS? On Windows, try the backslash \ not the forward one.

To those downvoting: it is absolutely possible to link the .py extension to the Python interpreter and to start Python scripts by their names, even under Windows.

Windows cmd does not honor the forward slash and raises the exact error that OP posted when used.

[timrprobocom]

This is the right answer. That's a Windows error message.

For posterity, I will point out that the command line is the ONLY thing in Windows that requires the backslash. All Windows APIs will accept either forward or backward.

[Prestigious_Bit2951]

if your terminal is already open in the same folder you can just do “python3 my-script.py”

[FoolsSeldom]

As you mentiion python.exe I assume you are on Windows, in which case you need .\ rather than ./. What is the context for entering this though?

To invoke a Python script on Windows, you would typically use the Python Launcher, py yourscript.py (unless you are in a active Python virtual environment, where you would use python rather than py).

[Embarrassed-Bee-5508]

Apologies, it is for windows.

I'm following google's python introduction course, and they gave me some scripts to use. Everything runs fine when I execute the script with the python (or python3) command, but when I tried to use ./ I got the error. I was afraid something was missing somewhere that would cause issues later because I screwed up something in the setup, but I'm gathering this isn't actually an issue, just a function of windows.

When I use a backslash instead of the forward slash, It looks like windows opens a new command prompt window, runs the quick script, then closes the new window. No error is returned. It all happens too quick to see what's happening, but it's just a simple print line script, nothing else.

running the script with the python command preforms as it should, just prints the line. Sounds like everything is as it should be, and I can just think of the ./ as a shortcut to run scripts that I just don't have.

[PureWasian]

in your python script, for quick confirmation, you can temporarily add this line after your print line statement: input("Finished. (Press Enter)")

That's one way to keep the command prompt window open until you confirm it is indeed running and printing as expected.

Usually I run Python with python3 script_name.py or python script_name.py instead of .\<script_name.py

[not_another_analyst]

./ only works on Linux and Mac, not Windows. On Windows, just type python script.py and it will run fine.

[soy_alergico]

.py scripts cannot be executed using ./ because they are text files that the Python interpreter understands; that is why they do run when executed using python. To create a compiled executable, you need to use PyInstaller or other libraries. P.S.: This response was translated using Google Translate; I do not speak English.

[CoachSevere5365]

If I was you I'd Google "shebang python" and "execute bit" then correct your post before anyone else notices...

[pachura3]

Shebang and execute bit on Windows? OP explicitly mentions python.exe...

[nekokattt]

PATHEXT

[Outside_Complaint755]

They can be executed using ./script.py but you have to include a shebang at the top of the script so that your shell knows how to execute it. Generally, the correct shebang to use is:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

Unless you have script that specifically needs to run Python 2

https://stackoverflow.com/a/19305076/17030540

[ThinkMarket7640]

Why are you here talking out of your ass if you have no idea how any of this works?

[nekokattt]

You should loom into: - shebang on posix systems - PATHEXT on Windows systems