Mobile Python: Rapid Prototyping of Applications on the Mobile Platform

1.5. Python Terminology in this Book

In this book, the term 'Python' may refer to three different concepts (see Figure 1.2).

Figure 1.2(a) shows the Python programming language, which is the same both on a PC and a phone, although the PC cannot access the phone's functionalities.

Figure 1.2(b) shows Python for S60, which runs, or interprets, the Python language on the S60 smartphone platform and provides interfaces to the phone's functionalities.

Figure 1.2(c) shows a Python interpreter that is used to run Python on a PC. In some examples of this book, you need that as well.

Figure 1-2. Three meanings of 'Python': (a) Python code, (b) Python for S60 and (c) Python interpreter on a PC

In practice, almost always in this book we are talking about Python for S60 and thus we use the abbreviation 'PyS60' for clarity. The Python language lessons talk about Python the programming language, so they apply on a PC as well. On rare occasions we need to run the Python interpreter on a PC – in these cases we state this clearly in the text.