@@ -289,6 +289,43 @@ details).
289289 and Martin von Löwis.
290290
291291
292+ .. _pep-397 :
293+
294+ PEP 397: Python Launcher for Windows
295+ ====================================
296+
297+ The Python 3.3 Windows installer now includes a ``py `` launcher application
298+ that can be used to launch Python applications in a version independent
299+ fashion.
300+
301+ This launcher is invoked implicitly when double-clicking ``*.py `` files.
302+ If only a single Python version is installed on the system, that version
303+ will be used to run the file. If multiple versions are installed, the most
304+ recent version is used by default, but this can be overridden by including
305+ a Unix-style "shebang line" in the Python script.
306+
307+ The launcher can also be used explicitly from the command line as the ``py ``
308+ application. Running ``py `` follows the same version selection rules as
309+ implicitly launching scripts, but a more specific version can be selected
310+ by passing appropriate arguments (such as ``-3 `` to request Python 3 when
311+ Python 2 is also installed, or ``-2.6 `` to specifclly request an earlier
312+ Python version when a more recent version is installed).
313+
314+ In addition to the launcher, the Windows installer now includes an
315+ option to add the newly installed Python to the system PATH (contributed
316+ by Brian Curtain in :issue: `3561 `).
317+
318+ .. seealso ::
319+
320+ :pep: `397 ` - Python Launcher for Windows
321+ PEP written by Mark Hammond and Martin v. Löwis; implementation by
322+ Vinay Sajip.
323+
324+ Launcher documentation: :ref: `launcher `
325+
326+ Installer PATH modification: :ref: `windows-path-mod `
327+
328+
292329.. _pep-3151 :
293330
294331PEP 3151: Reworking the OS and IO exception hierarchy
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