py, or py.exe, is the name of a new(ish) Python Launcher for Windows, which was released as part of Python 3.x.
This is the PEP for py.
I tried out Py and it worked okay, for some basic uses.
It lets you launch a specific version of Python, either 2, or 3, or 2.x or 3.x. I tried using it to launch both Python 2.7.3 and Python 3.3.1.
C:\> py -V Python 2.7.3 C:\> py -3 -V Python 3.3.1 c:\Python33\Tools\Scripts> py -2 which.py py.exe C:\Windows\py.exe c:\Python33\Tools\Scripts>py -2 which.py cmd.exe C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe
Here is the partial output of running the py --help command:
c:\Python33\Tools\Scripts>py --help Python Launcher for Windows Version 3.3.1150.1013 usage: py [ launcher-arguments ] script [ script-arguments ] Launcher arguments: -2 : Launch the latest Python 2.x version -3 : Launch the latest Python 3.x version -X.Y : Launch the specified Python version -X.Y-32: Launch the specified 32bit Python version
- Vasudev Ram - Dancing Bison Enterprises