Skip to main content

​
Introduction

The Windows Python Launcher uses a simple configuration system built directly into the batch script. All configuration options are defined as environment variables at the top of the PythonLauncher.bat file.

​
How to Configure

To customize the launcher for your project:
  1. Open PythonLauncher.bat in a text editor
  2. Locate the Configuration section (lines 6-36)
  3. Modify the set statements to change configuration values
  4. Save the file
No restart or reload is required - changes take effect immediately the next time you run the launcher.

​
Configuration Structure

All configuration options follow this syntax: 
set variablename=value

​
Example Configuration Section

:::------------------------------------Configuration------------------------------------:::

::Set the python version to use
set pythonversion=3.11
::Configure the python exe to use
set pythondir=py

::Define the title of the cmd window
set windowname=Python

::Set if a venv will be created
set usevenv=1
set venvname=pyvenv

​
Configuration Categories

The configuration options are organized into three main categories:

​
Python Setup

Controls which Python interpreter is used and how it’s located.
  • pythonversion - Specify Python version (e.g., 3.11, 3.10)
  • pythondir - Path to Python executable or launcher command
See Python Setup for details.

​
Virtual Environment

Manages automatic virtual environment creation and package installation.
  • usevenv - Enable/disable virtual environment usage
  • venvname - Name of the virtual environment directory
  • installrequirementsfile - Auto-install dependencies
  • requirementsfile - Path to requirements file
See Virtual Environment for details.

​
Window Options

Customizes the command window behavior and appearance.
  • windowname - Title displayed in the window
  • minimizedcmd - Start window minimized
  • autoclosecmd - Auto-close when script finishes
  • passarguments - Forward arguments to Python script
  • alertifpynotinstalled - Show alert if Python is missing
See Window Options for details.

​
Boolean Values

Many configuration options use boolean (true/false) values. In batch scripts:
  • 1 = enabled/true
  • 0 = disabled/false

​
File Detection

The launcher includes an auto-detection feature for initial Python files: 
set initialfiles="run.py" "main.py" "app.py"
The launcher will search for these files in order and run the first one found. You can customize this list to match your project structure.
File names in the initialfiles list must be enclosed in double quotes and separated by spaces.

​
Best Practices

​
Project-Specific Configuration

Copy PythonLauncher.bat into each project directory and configure it specifically for that project’s needs. This allows different projects to have different:
  • Python versions
  • Virtual environment settings
  • Window behaviors

​
Version Control

Consider adding PythonLauncher.bat to your version control system so team members share the same configuration.

​
Comments

The batch file uses double colons (::) for comments. Add your own comments to document project-specific settings: 
::Using Python 3.11 for TensorFlow compatibility
set pythonversion=3.11

​
Relative vs Absolute Paths

When specifying paths in configuration values, you can use:
  • Relative paths: Use %cd%\path\to\file to reference locations relative to the launcher
  • Absolute paths: Use full paths like C:\Python\python.exe
Be careful with relative paths if you plan to run the launcher from different working directories.

​
Next Steps

Explore the detailed documentation for each configuration category: