Python 2.4 - Help does not work in Windows

[stuart_white_]

I've just upgraded from Python 2.3.3 to Python 2.4.2, and, although the
new version of Python seems to be running correctly, I can't seem
access the help from the interpreter.

On Python 2.3.3
---------------
Python 2.3.3 (#51, Dec 18 2003, 20:22:39) [MSC v.1200 32 bit (Intel)]
on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

import time
time.ctime() 'Wed Jan 04 12:59:13 2006' help(time) Help on built-in module time:

NAME
time - This module provides various functions to manipulate time
values.

.... etc ...

On Python 2.4.2
---------------
Python 2.4.2 (#67, Sep 28 2005, 12:41:11) [MSC v.1310 32 bit (Intel)]
on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. import time
time.ctime() 'Wed Jan 04 13:01:22 2006' help(time)

cannot import name warn

I get this warning for all modules which I've tried. I guess this is an
installation problem, and have tried uninstalling and re-installing but
that gives me the same results.

Could anyone give me some pointers on where I might look to debug this
problem? In case it's any help, I'm running Windows XP SP2, and have
installed both Python2.3 and Python 2.4 on the same system. Could this
be causing some conflict?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Robert Hicks]

st***********@hotmail.com wrote:
<snip>

Could anyone give me some pointers on where I might look to debug this
problem? In case it's any help, I'm running Windows XP SP2, and have
installed both Python2.3 and Python 2.4 on the same system. Could this
be causing some conflict?

It must be. I just tried it with a single install of 2.4.2 on XP and
got the help info with "help(time)".

import time
time.ctime() 'Wed Jan 04 08:17:29 2006' help(time)

Help on built-in module time:

NAME
time - This module provides various functions to manipulate time
values.
....

Robert

[Scott David Daniels]

st***********@hotmail.com wrote:

I've just upgraded from Python 2.3.3 to Python 2.4.2, and, although the
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A data point: It is not the interaction of the two Pythons.

C:\...\Py>\python23\python
Python 2.3.4 (#53, May 25 2004, 21:17:02) [MSC v.1200 32 bit (Intel)] on
win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

import time; help(time) Help on built-in module time:
....
C:\...\Py>\python24\python
Python 2.4.2 (#67, Sep 28 2005, 12:41:11) [MSC v.1310 32 bit (Intel)] on
win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. import time; help(time) Help on built-in module time:
....

This information might help:

C:\...\Py>\python24\python
Python 2.4.2 (#67, Sep 28 2005, 12:41:11) [MSC v.1310 32 bit (Intel)] on
win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. import sys, time; names = set(sys.modules)
help(time) .... ' '.join(sorted(set(sys.modules) - names))

'_random binascii collections dis errno imp inspect opcode
pydoc random tempfile thread token tokenize'

That is, those are the modules loaded in the course of doing the "help".
I'd try loading them one-by one.
Alternatively, start the interpreter as:
python -v
And watch the imports as you do (1) "import time", and (2) "help(time)".
You may see the import causing the problem.

--Scott David Daniels
sc***********@acm.org

[rzed]

st***********@hotmail.com wrote in
news:11*********************@g44g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com:

I've just upgraded from Python 2.3.3 to Python 2.4.2, and,
although the new version of Python seems to be running
correctly, I can't seem access the help from the interpreter.

On Python 2.3.3
---------------
Python 2.3.3 (#51, Dec 18 2003, 20:22:39) [MSC v.1200 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more
information.

import time
time.ctime() 'Wed Jan 04 12:59:13 2006' help(time) Help on built-in module time:

NAME
time - This module provides various functions to manipulate
time
values.

... etc ...

On Python 2.4.2
---------------
Python 2.4.2 (#67, Sep 28 2005, 12:41:11) [MSC v.1310 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more
information. import time
time.ctime() 'Wed Jan 04 13:01:22 2006' help(time)

cannot import name warn

I get this warning for all modules which I've tried. I guess
this is an installation problem, and have tried uninstalling and
re-installing but that gives me the same results.

Could anyone give me some pointers on where I might look to
debug this problem? In case it's any help, I'm running Windows
XP SP2, and have installed both Python2.3 and Python 2.4 on the
same system. Could this be causing some conflict?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I've been running 2.4.x for some time on a Win2K machine, with no
problems. Just recently I got an XP system, and after installation
of numerous things, I had help disappear(!). That is, I am *fairly*
certain that at one point it worked in Python and later did not, on
that same system. It is possible that it never did on XP, though.

Incidentally, this manifested itself both in Python and in the
system command line (cmd.exe), for some reason. I expect there was
a clash with some other software I installed.

At any rate, I re-installed Python over the top of the existing
installation, and *both* Python help and the command-line help
reappeared. I don't know what to make of that.

The XP system does have a Python 2.2.3 version that came pre-
installed, though I've not used it directly. (checking) It's help
seems to work now, but then so does my 2.4.2 help, now.

--
rzed