Doc: Delete UNIX qualification for script running instructions

[andresdelfino]

BPO	33877
Nosy	@terryjreedy, @pfmoore, @tjguk, @ned-deily, @zware, @zooba, @andresdelfino, @miss-islington
PRs	bpo-33877: Remove UNIX qualification for running complete programs #7744 [3.7] bpo-33877: Remove UNIX qualification for running complete programs (GH-7744) #7863 [3.6] bpo-33877: Remove UNIX qualification for running complete programs (GH-7744) #7864 [2.7] bpo-33877: Remove UNIX qualification for running complete programs (GH-7744) #7868

^{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 2018-06-25.19:32:55.883>
created_at = <Date 2018-06-16.03:33:50.091>
labels = ['3.8', 'type-feature', '3.7', 'OS-windows', 'docs']
title = 'Doc: Delete UNIX qualification for script running instructions'
updated_at = <Date 2018-06-25.19:32:55.882>
user = 'https://github.com/andresdelfino'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2018-06-25.19:32:55.882>
actor = 'adelfino'
assignee = 'terry.reedy'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2018-06-25.19:32:55.883>
closer = 'adelfino'
components = ['Documentation', 'Windows']
creation = <Date 2018-06-16.03:33:50.091>
creator = 'adelfino'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 33877
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 8.0
messages = ['319703', '320260', '320271', '320274', '320276', '320281', '320282', '320295']
nosy_count = 9.0
nosy_names = ['terry.reedy', 'paul.moore', 'tim.golden', 'ned.deily', 'docs@python', 'zach.ware', 'steve.dower', 'adelfino', 'miss-islington']
pr_nums = ['7744', '7863', '7864', '7868']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue33877'
versions = ['Python 2.7', 'Python 3.6', 'Python 3.7', 'Python 3.8']

[andresdelfino]

Reference 9.1. says: "Under Unix, a complete program can be passed to the interpreter in three forms...".

This also applies to Windows. PR fixes this.

[terryjreedy]

The paragraph reads:

Under Unix, a complete program can be passed to the interpreter in three forms: with the -c string command line option, as a file passed as the first command line argument, or as standard input. If the file or standard input is a tty device, the interpreter enters interactive mode; otherwise, it executes the file as a complete program.

This is slightly confusing because a complete programs cannot be passed all at once if the file (regular or stdin) is interactive.

Not being a Windows expert, I was curious whether the standard input part is true for Win 10. Indeed, both "python con:" and "python <con:" (as well as just "python") start Python in interactive mode, which both "python file" and "python < file" executes the file.

Ned, is the statement untrue for MacOS, or does 'Unix' always include Macs? In other words, should we add 'Windows' or delete 'Unix'?

[ned-deily]

The statement is true for macOS (note macOS is the correct current styling per Apple); in general, macOS is a UNIX platform as far as Python is concerned. So, yes, it appears the documentation there could be simplified by eliminating the platform distinction.

[terryjreedy]

Thanks. I did that and will merge when possible.

[terryjreedy]

New changeset c9d43c7 by Terry Jan Reedy (Andrés Delfino) in branch 'master':
bpo-33877: Remove UNIX qualification for running complete programs (GH-7744)
c9d43c7

[miss-islington]

New changeset f47d898 by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.7':
bpo-33877: Remove UNIX qualification for running complete programs (GH-7744)
f47d898