Newbie Problem - SyntaxError question

OK, I started reading the Tutorial. I got to Chapter 2 and specifically item 2.2.5 The Customization Modules. I followed the instructions on that page (see below). I typed in "import site" and pressed the enter key and then I typed the "site.getusersitepackages()" part (see below). When I do that I get a message back "SyntaxError invalid syntax".

I am running under Windows 7. So, how do I correct the statement so that it works. There is a little carrot below the last quote mark.

The actual command I typed in is:

site.getusersitepackages() 'C:/Python27/Lib/site-packages'

Here is the actual text from the Tutoral:

"Python provides two hooks to let you customize it: sitecustomize and usercustomize. To see how it works,
you need first to find the location of your user site-packages directory. Start Python and run this code:
>>> import site
>>> site.getusersitepackages()
’/home/user/.local/lib/python3.2/site-packages’
Now you can create a file named usercustomize.py in that directory and put anything you want in it. It will
affect every invocation of Python, unless it is started with the -s option to disable the automatic import.
sitecustomize works in the same way, but is typically created by an administrator of the computer in the global
site-packages directory, and is imported before usercustomize. See the documentation of the site module for
more details."

Interesting, perhaps not an unreasonable interpretation of the instructions. But incorrect.

These lines are input to python. Don't type the 4 character python prompt ">>> "

>>> import site
>>> site.getusersitepackages()


The next line was sample output from python, and not, as you expected, merely a funky paragraph wrapping mistake.

Cheers!

I am not typing those leading '>' characters

First, I started the Python Command application within Windows

So, when this starts, I get the following:

"Python 2.7.3 (default, Apr 10 2012, 23:31:26) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>"

So, those three ">" are present when I start typing.

Now, what?

OK, I just typed in "site.getusersitepackages()" command

The system replied with:

'C:\\Users\\dr55069\\AppData\\Roaming\\Python\\Python27\\site-packages'

So, how do I can that value?

Just remember that python can be customized.

Move directly to chapter 3. Obviously, you cannot customize python, or do much of anything with it until you've learned that

OBJECT.method(argument) 'string'

is invalid syntax.


You might also request www.python.org to reorder the tutorial chapters because that's ridiculous.


The problem is akin to software manuals, in that most first explain "changes from last version" rather than explaining in a general sense what the software does.


Move on to the next section.