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Just for clarification: I know how to do this, but it seems silly that the developers don't automatically check the option to add it to the Windows PATH (Not to mention that it's small and easy to skip over without looking closely while installing). The post here explains that it's to further give people control over which Python distribution is used, and unless I'm misunderstanding, that's merely saying that there is only one purpose. However, I also know that Python 3.x uses py in the terminal, while python is utilized by Python 2.x. The same goes for pip; pip used by Python 2.x and pip3 by Python 3.x. What more control can you get over not having it automatically added?

I realize it's not exactly a code question, nor is it truly important, but I'm curious about what the reason behind it is.

EDIT: There are two options when opening the Python installer for the first time. The first, a simple installation of Python; what most people want. The second, a more advanced one with, after a couple screens, the option to add it to the Windows PATH variable. The first does not come with this option.

EDIT 2: Again, I already know what the importance is of adding it to the path. It just seems unnecessary to not have the box ticked by default. Python 2.x and 3.x are already differentiated, as explained above, by the usage of py vs python. Anyone who is running more than one version of each should be knowledgeable enough to know when and when not to add the path.

This may be a better question to ask directly to Python developers, rather than Stack Overflow, but I was looking to see if there was any answer out there that I was overlooking.

Final Edit: Like I said in the comments, my priorities differ from that of the developers, and I'm probably just being stubborn. Thanks anyhow for the input!

UghThatGUyAgain
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    https://bugs.python.org/issue3561 – MoxieBall Jun 20 '18 at 17:54
  • Python 3.x installs itself to `/usr/bin` on my system, so it's naturally in `$PATH`. – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Jun 20 '18 at 17:54
  • @IgnacioVazquez-Abrams I'm on a Windows system, and the installer includes a checkbox for an option to add it to the PATH variable. Either I skipped over that, or it's only available when you open the installer and again and hit modify. – UghThatGUyAgain Jun 20 '18 at 17:58
  • Possible duplicate of [Why would I add python to PATH](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34900042/why-would-i-add-python-to-path) – scharette Jun 20 '18 at 18:03
  • @scharette refer to edit 2 to see why that doesn't answer my question – UghThatGUyAgain Jun 20 '18 at 18:09
  • Did [this](https://bugs.python.org/issue3561) not answer your question? – MoxieBall Jun 20 '18 at 18:19
  • @MoxieBall Reading further into it, it seems that their biggest issues are A) No one is willing to do something, B) People who install and uninstall Python multiple times will have more and more PATH variables, and C) It is irremovable at time of uninstallation. I suppose I'm just being stubborn and my opinions differ from theirs. – UghThatGUyAgain Jun 20 '18 at 18:26
  • B and C are true and bad, and it's not like nobody is willing to do something -- making it optional _is_ what they did. – MoxieBall Jun 20 '18 at 18:35

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