[IPython-user] Movable Python 0.4.6 - with spe

[Michael Foord]

A new release of Movable Python (0.4.6) has been done. This is a 
bugfix/update release and is recommended for all users. See the 
announcement below.

A new release of Movable Python is available - 0.4.6

This fixes a few issues including a bug in the Python 2.2 support, and a 
fix for a psyco/IPython incompatibility issue.

We have a new icon and logo thanks to Aidan Ashby - 
http://aidan.voidspace.org.uk

Due to bugfixes (in movpy) we can now offer a prebuilt environment for 
Python 2.2 that includes wxPython and SPE. The prebuilt environments 
feature updated versions of several components (SPE, IPython, readline)

Downloads - http://sourceforge.net/projects/movpy
Documentation - http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/movpy

What is Movable Python ?
-------------------------

Movable Python is a way of building portable, standalone, Python 
environments. The result is a version of Python that can be used without 
having to install python on the target machine. (Currently windows only 
- but could be ported to Mac using py2app and Lunix using cx_freeze). 
This means you can carry around a prebuilt python environment on a USB 
memory stick - Python on a stick. Come and get your gannet ripple, 
python on a stick..... [1]

This is useful for :

* Machines where you don't have admin rights (can't install programs)
* Where you need a portable 'Build, Test, and Run' Python environment 
(will nicely fit on a usb memory stick)
* Having several versions of python on the same machine for 
forward/backward compatibility testing
* Easily deploying python scripts without having to install python
* Try before you buy - test python without having to install it, 
including new versions
* 'Python Runtime Environment'. '.py' files can be associated with movpy

With the addition of wxPython, SPE [2], and IPython [3] it becomes a 
full 'Build, Test, and Run' environment.


What's Available ?
-------------------

 From sourceforge ( http://sourceforge.net/projects/movpy )  :

The source distribution that allows you to customize and build your own 
environments.

Prebuilt environments for Python 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4.

Environments are available either as 'basic' build, or 'standard' build.

Basic comes with the standard library, psyco, and IPython.
Standard has wxPython and SPE included.

What Has Changed ?
-------------------

    2005/02/07      Version 0.4.6a
    Movpy Icon and image added by Aidan Ashby - 
http://aidan.voidspace.org.uk
    Changes by Michael
    We use exec rather than eval (which shouldn't be used with `multiple 
statement code objects`)
    IPython isn't called if -p is on (psyco and IPython don't play well 
together yet)
    IPython won't be called if psyco.full() has been called in your script
    locals() and globals() are now passed explicitly to interactive() 
(optional if you use interactive yourself)
    (This was an attempt to make IPython work with psyco - which it 
doesn't yet !)
    Fixed a bug in Python 2.2 support - 'exclude_modules' now works !
    Forced package import for encodings. SPE now works with python 2.2 - 
but still 'experimental'.
    Icon is now used in python 2.2
    Plus the pre-built environments use newer versions of readline, 
IPython, and SPE


Regards,

Michael Foord
http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/index.shtml




[1] For the 'Pythonically Challenged' this alludes to the python's 
sketch where John Cleese is dressed as an usherette selling ice-creams 
during the interval in a British film-house. He shouts: "Albatross! 
Albatross! Stormy-petrel on a stick! Gannet ripple!". Silly Monty Python 
reference supplied by John Davenport.

[2] Stanis Python Editor IDE - see http://spe.pycs.net

[3] IPython - enormously flexible interactive shell for Python. See 
http://ipython.scipy.org