Allow setting a python version using py use 3.13 command

[kneelesh48]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
I'm used to nvm (node version manager). Excited to see python got a similar thing with pymanager.
There is no command similar to nvm use and nvm default
Please add commands analogus to nvm

Describe the solution you'd like
Please add commands analogus to nvm such as py use and py default

[AA-Turner]

Have you read through the documentation?

A default version may be configured either via PYTHON_MANAGER_DEFAULT or default_tag in a config file. Perhaps this could be added to py install --configure, but the existing methods seem fine.

A

[zooba]

I thought about adding it to the first run experience, but couldn't really come up with a good way. Setting the environment variable is going to be best for most people, but it's the worst thing to do programmatically.

I'm pretty sure this complaint will go away when the default switches back to "3" instead of "3.14", so maybe we should accelerate that and stop distributing 3.14 until it's stable. I don't really like that because it's the 3.14 releases telling people to use the install manager, and so giving them something different is going to be strange.

[kneelesh48]

I propose not installing any python version by default. But print a message something like run py install 3.14 to install the latest version of python or ask the user before installing python. Please don't automatically install any python version.

As PEP 8 says - Explicit is better than implicit

[kneelesh48]

py use 3.14 can change the environment variables to use this python version. py default 3.13 will set the default python version, this will change an environment variable or the config file to remember the default python version. py list should show which version is currently set to be used and which version is the default.

This is how it works in nvm.

[zooba]

I propose not installing any python version by default.

Well, your proposal has already been evaluated and rejected. If you don't want one installed by default, choose "no" when it asked you whether to install one.

py use 3.14 can change the environment variables to use this python version.

No it can't. Your environment variables belong to you and your shell, and py is a command running within that. It can't modify the environment variables in its parent process. At best, it can mess with your global settings and after you restart then it'll take effect.

py list should show which version is currently set to be used and which version is the default.

It already does? If it doesn't, then that's a bug, but we need more details about what you're seeing and what you expect to see. Please run py list -vv and copy all the output into a new issue.

[kneelesh48]

Well, your proposal has already been evaluated and rejected. If you don't want one installed by default, choose "no" when it asked you whether to install one.

It didn't ask me anywhere whether to install python or not as you can see in #125

[zooba]

Running python implies you want a Python install, and during beta it implies you want a Python 3.14 install (this will change at release of 3.14). You didn't have one, so it gave you one and ran it. This is intentional design. More details on the other post.

winget installs won't ask you anything - you need to install interactively and do the "launch after install" option to get that flow (or launch from the Start menu).

We have no intention and no permission to add more subcommands, so the best we can do is make the py help output longer, which I fear would make people miss the docs link which has the actual help in it. I'm leaning towards closing this as wontfix.