#file
idlelib/configHandler.py

#code
userDir = os.path.expanduser('~') 

#os
windows 7 sp1

it doesnt get final userdir path. it doesnt work correctly for userdir . 
this cause python3.3 IDLE GUI can not be opened on my pc . 
as per the docment says as follows:

help(os.path.expanduser)
Help on function expanduser in module ntpath:

expanduser(path)
    Expand ~ and ~user constructs.
    
    If user or $HOME is unknown, do nothing.

help(os.path.expandvars)
Help on function expandvars in module ntpath:

expandvars(path)
    Expand shell variables of the forms $var, ${var} and %var%.
    
    Unknown variables are left unchanged.

the right code may be:

userDir = os.path.expandvars(os.path.expanduser('~'))

i am working under non-administrator account .
in fact os.path.expanduser('~') works well when as admin run .
but just got a %userprofile% when as standard account .

On Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 11:39 PM, patrick wai <report@bugs.python.org>wrote:

>
> New submission from patrick wai:
>
> #file
> idlelib/configHandler.py
>
> #code
> userDir = os.path.expanduser('~')
>
> #os
> windows 7 sp1
>
> it doesnt get final userdir path. it doesnt work correctly for userdir .
> this cause python3.3 IDLE GUI can not be opened on my pc .
> as per the docment says as follows:
>
> help(os.path.expanduser)
> Help on function expanduser in module ntpath:
>
> expanduser(path)
>     Expand ~ and ~user constructs.
>
>     If user or $HOME is unknown, do nothing.
>
> help(os.path.expandvars)
> Help on function expandvars in module ntpath:
>
> expandvars(path)
>     Expand shell variables of the forms $var, ${var} and %var%.
>
>     Unknown variables are left unchanged.
>
> the right code may be:
>
> userDir = os.path.expandvars(os.path.expanduser('~'))
>
> ----------
> components: IDLE
> messages: 198210
> nosy: weizhao
> priority: normal
> severity: normal
> status: open
> title: problems with pyshell to get userdir
> type: behavior
> versions: Python 2.7, Python 3.1, Python 3.2, Python 3.3, Python 3.4,
> Python 3.5
>
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue19062>
> _______________________________________
>

(When responding via email, please delete the quoted test (except possibly for a line or two) as it constitutes noise when viewing the web page.)

On my updated win7, I get with 3.4.1
>>> import os.path
>>> userDir = os.path.expanduser('~')
>>> userDir
'C:\\Users\\Terry'

Contrary to the doc, I do not have HOME, but do have HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH, so expanduser must be using those.

configHander now uses os.getcwd() as a backup, but a comment wonders if this is adequate. (On windows not at present, as cwd is the specific version Python directory.)

I do not understand your comment about %userprofile% or 
  userDir = os.path.expandvars(os.path.expanduser('~'))
If expanduser('~') returns '~', expandvars('~') does too.

Please explain with quoted code and the result of running it.

I suppose that on patrick's computeron his account (but not on admin account) HOME is literal "%userprofile%". It looks as just misconfiguration.

The fact that Idle quits when there is a problem getting (or writing to) the home directory is a design bug discussed in #8231.  I do not see any other bug with Idle.  So I am closing this as a duplicate.