IDLE: Better document close and exit. #89459

terryjreedy · 2021-09-26T20:52:28Z

BPO	45296
Nosy	@terryjreedy, @taleinat, @ambv, @miss-islington, @E-Paine
PRs	@terryjreedy bpo-45296: Fix exit/quit message on Windows #28577 [3.10] bpo-45296: Fix exit/quit message on Windows (GH-28577) #28600 [3.9] bpo-45296: Fix exit/quit message on Windows (GH-28577) #28601 bpo-45296: Clarify close, quit, and exit in IDLE #30936 [3.10] bpo-45296: Clarify close, quit, and exit in IDLE (GH-30936) #30944 [3.9] bpo-45296: Clarify close, quit, and exit in IDLE (GH-30936) #30945

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/terryjreedy'
closed_at = <Date 2022-01-27.03:56:18.530>
created_at = <Date 2021-09-26.20:52:27.906>
labels = ['expert-IDLE', 'type-bug', '3.9', '3.10', '3.11']
title = 'IDLE: Better document close and exit.'
updated_at = <Date 2022-01-27.03:56:18.529>
user = 'https://github.com/terryjreedy'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2022-01-27.03:56:18.529>
actor = 'terry.reedy'
assignee = 'terry.reedy'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2022-01-27.03:56:18.530>
closer = 'terry.reedy'
components = ['IDLE']
creation = <Date 2021-09-26.20:52:27.906>
creator = 'terry.reedy'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 45296
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 12.0
messages = ['402678', '402689', '402693', '402697', '402768', '402773', '402774', '402775', '402820', '411829', '411832', '411834']
nosy_count = 5.0
nosy_names = ['terry.reedy', 'taleinat', 'lukasz.langa', 'miss-islington', 'epaine']
pr_nums = ['28577', '28600', '28601', '30936', '30944', '30945']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue45296'
versions = ['Python 3.9', 'Python 3.10', 'Python 3.11']

terryjreedy · 2021-09-26T20:52:28Z

On Windows:
>>> exit
'Use exit() or Ctrl-Z plus Return to exit'
>>> quit
'Use quit() or Ctrl-Z plus Return to exit'
>>> exit.eof
'Ctrl-Z plus Return'

On *nix, 'Ctrl-Z plus Return' is 'Ctrl-D (i.e, EOF)'
IDLE uses the latter even on Windows, and Ctrl-Z does not work.

Both exit and quit are instances of _sitebuiltins.Quitter

cpython/Lib/_sitebuiltins.py

Lines 13 to 26 in e14d5ae

    
           class Quitter(object): 
        
               def __init__(self, name, eof): 
        
                   self.name = name 
        
                   self.eof = eof 
        
               def __repr__(self): 
        
                   return 'Use %s() or %s to exit' % (self.name, self.eof) 
        
               def __call__(self, code=None): 
        
                   # Shells like IDLE catch the SystemExit, but listen when their 
        
                   # stdin wrapper is closed. 
        
                   try: 
        
                       sys.stdin.close() 
        
                   except: 
        
                       pass 
        
                   raise SystemExit(code)

class Quitter(object):
def __init__(self, name, eof):
self.name = name
self.eof = eof
def __repr__(self):
return 'Use %s() or %s to exit' % (self.name, self.eof)
def __call__ [not relevant here]

We just need to replace current exit/quit.eof as indicated above on startup.

terryjreedy · 2021-09-27T04:49:25Z

Tal, Paine: should be use exactly the raw REPL message or something that might be clearer to beginners, like 'Ctrl-D (end-of-file)'?

taleinat · 2021-09-27T06:24:17Z

How about "Control-D (end-of-file, a.k.a. EOF)" or even just "Control-D"?

E-Paine · 2021-09-27T09:00:30Z

How about "Control-D (end-of-file, a.k.a. EOF)"

I doubt beginners care that it's EOF.

or even just "Control-D"

I'd be a lot more inclined towards this.

IDLE uses the latter [Ctrl-D] even on Windows, and Ctrl-Z does not work.

Is it worth considering changing this behaviour? IMO Ctrl-D is better for consistency between platforms, but wanted to throw the idea out there for discussion.

ambv · 2021-09-28T12:06:05Z

New changeset e649e06 by Terry Jan Reedy in branch 'main':
bpo-45296: Fix exit/quit message on Windows (GH-28577)
e649e06

ambv · 2021-09-28T12:35:08Z

New changeset 813fbba by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.9':
bpo-45296: Fix exit/quit message on Windows (GH-28577) (GH-28601)
813fbba

ambv · 2021-09-28T12:35:28Z

New changeset acd46fe by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.10':
bpo-45296: Fix exit/quit message on Windows (GH-28577) (GH-28600)
acd46fe

ambv · 2021-09-28T12:38:38Z

The wording chosen by Terry, i.e. "Ctrl-D (end-of-file)", is pretty clear. Merged and fixed. Thanks!

terryjreedy · 2021-09-29T05:36:00Z

Unfortunately, I have discovered, the new wording is better but only correct for IDLE when Shell is the only window.

On the file menu, I want to:
A. Change 'Close' to 'Close Window', so it is clear that 'Close'/Alt-F4 only close the window and not IDLE.
B. Also change 'Exit' to 'Exit IDLE' or maybe 'Quit IDLE', so it is clearer that this and Ctrl-Q close all windows and exit IDLE. Ctrl-Q is the default binding for 'close-all-windows', which users can configure.

Also, add a little in the doc entry for these choices. Or maybe open a separate issue to add the option name for all menu entry hotkeys that can be rebound. I don't know how many that is.

For a single window app, like the REPL, when not running in Command Prompt or the equivalent, closing the window and exiting the application are the same thing. The same is true when Shell is the only IDLE window. Closing Shell exits IDLE. After submitting the PR, I discovered that exit() and quit() only close Shell but do not exit IDLE if there are other windows. So the message should really be something like the following:

To close Shell, enter 'exit()', 'quit()', or 'Alt-F4'.
To exit IDLE, hit 'Ctrl-Q', hotkey for 'File >= Exit IDLE'.

This requires replacing the repr method. Someone who rebinds either hotkey option, which I expect is rare, will have to remember that they did so if that happen to enter either 'exit' or 'quit' without parens.

The question of IDLE on Windows and <^Z Return> was discussed some years ago on an issue a vaguely remember but could not find. It was decided to either not add it or maybe to remove it, and key cross-platform ^D for closing Shell (and only Shell as it does nothing in Editor). I don't want to change that decision.

terryjreedy · 2022-01-27T03:16:39Z

New changeset fcde0bc by Terry Jan Reedy in branch 'main':
bpo-45296: Clarify close, quit, and exit in IDLE (GH-30936)
fcde0bc

miss-islington · 2022-01-27T03:41:17Z

New changeset bc7d96e by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.9':
bpo-45296: Clarify close, quit, and exit in IDLE (GH-30936)
bc7d96e

terryjreedy · 2022-01-27T03:55:29Z

New changeset 5acaad0 by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.10':
bpo-45296: Clarify close, quit, and exit in IDLE (GH-30936) (GH-30944)
5acaad0

terryjreedy added topic-IDLE 3.9 only security fixes 3.10 only security fixes 3.11 only security fixes labels Sep 27, 2021

terryjreedy self-assigned this Sep 27, 2021

terryjreedy added type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error topic-IDLE 3.9 only security fixes 3.10 only security fixes 3.11 only security fixes labels Sep 27, 2021

terryjreedy self-assigned this Sep 27, 2021

terryjreedy added the type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error label Sep 27, 2021

ambv closed this as completed Sep 28, 2021

terryjreedy reopened this Sep 29, 2021

terryjreedy changed the title ~~IDLE: Change Ctrl-Z note in exit/quit repr on Windows~~ IDLE: Better document close and exit. Sep 29, 2021

terryjreedy reopened this Sep 29, 2021

terryjreedy changed the title ~~IDLE: Change Ctrl-Z note in exit/quit repr on Windows~~ IDLE: Better document close and exit. Sep 29, 2021

terryjreedy closed this as completed Jan 27, 2022

ezio-melotti transferred this issue from another repository Apr 10, 2022

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IDLE: Better document close and exit. #89459

IDLE: Better document close and exit. #89459

terryjreedy commented Sep 26, 2021

terryjreedy commented Sep 26, 2021

terryjreedy commented Sep 27, 2021

taleinat commented Sep 27, 2021

E-Paine mannequin commented Sep 27, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

terryjreedy commented Sep 29, 2021

terryjreedy commented Jan 27, 2022

miss-islington commented Jan 27, 2022

terryjreedy commented Jan 27, 2022

IDLE: Better document close and exit. #89459

IDLE: Better document close and exit. #89459

Comments

terryjreedy commented Sep 26, 2021

terryjreedy commented Sep 26, 2021

terryjreedy commented Sep 27, 2021

taleinat commented Sep 27, 2021

E-Paine mannequin commented Sep 27, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

ambv commented Sep 28, 2021

terryjreedy commented Sep 29, 2021

This requires replacing the __repr__ method. Someone who rebinds either hotkey option, which I expect is rare, will have to remember that they did so if that happen to enter either 'exit' or 'quit' without parens.

terryjreedy commented Jan 27, 2022

miss-islington commented Jan 27, 2022

terryjreedy commented Jan 27, 2022

This requires replacing the repr method. Someone who rebinds either hotkey option, which I expect is rare, will have to remember that they did so if that happen to enter either 'exit' or 'quit' without parens.