Cannot get cmd to print Python file

[Schauster]

I have recently decided to learn python and found a playlist by Corey Schafer. The problem is that with the very first task, I cannot get it to work. He says to create a script in IDLE and then once saved you can print it by calling it from the cmd terminal.

C:\Users\brett>python Intro.py
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\Intro.py': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Intro
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python312\\Intro': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>python Users\brett\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Intro
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\Users\\brett\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python312\\Intro': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>clear
'clear' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Users\brett>python Desktop/Intro.py
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\Desktop\\Intro.py': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>python Desktop/Python Files/Intro.py
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\Desktop\\Python': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>python Desktop/PythonFiles/Intro.py
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\Desktop\\PythonFiles\\Intro.py': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>python Desktop/PythonFiles/Intro
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\Desktop\\PythonFiles\\Intro': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>python Documents/PythonFiles/Intro
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\Documents\\PythonFiles\\Intro': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Documents\PythonFiles
C:\Users\brett\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\python.exe: can't find '__main__' module in 'C:\\Users\\brett\\OneDrive\\Documents\\PythonFiles'

I have tried many different ways of loading it but the cmd never finds it. I tried it on my desktop then in my documents folder. I tried copying the directory address (I think it's called). It seems like a very stupid error, mainly because Corey Schafer seems to be quite thorough in his explanations but he did not explain this at all.
I'm sorry if I have posted this in the wrong forum or I wrote it wrong. This is my first time posting and I tried following the rules that I read. At the moment I don't know what BBCode is but I will also try to learn what that is.

[deanhystad]

You'll find things easier if you change the working directory in you shell to the location of the python files.

C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Intro
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python312\\Intro': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Where are you saving your programs? You should not save your programs in a folder under your python directory. Make a folder that is separate from where you installed python, and save your program files there.

[Schauster]

You'll find things easier if you change the working directory in you shell to the location of the python files.

C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Intro
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python312\\Intro': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Where are you saving your programs? You should not save your programs in a folder under your python directory. Make a folder that is separate from where you installed python, and save your program files there.

I only saved it in the python directory the first time. Afterwards, I tried saving it on my desktop.

C:\Users\brett>python
Python 3.12.3 (tags/v3.12.3:f6650f9, Apr 9 2024, 14:05:25) [MSC v.1938 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> print("Current Working Directory", os.getcwd())
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'os' is not defined. Did you forget to import 'os'?
>>> import os
>>> print("Current Working Directory", os.getcwd())
Current Working Directory C:\Users\brett
>>> python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro
File "<stdin>", line 1
python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
Here I tried changing the working directory but I always get an error.
I've tried attaching a picture of the directory path that keeps giving me errors

[Gribouillis]

>>> python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro

Don't call the 'python' command from within the Python interpreter (>>>). Call it directly from the command line (and don't forget the .py suffix)

Output:
C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py

[Schauster]

>>> python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro

Don't call the 'python' command from within the Python interpreter (>>>). Call it directly from the command line (and don't forget the .py suffix)

Output:
C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py

Ok so I tried to open the command prompt and tried both without typing python first, then it didn't have the three >>>. Afterwards, I typed python and got the 3 >>>, either way I got errors.

C:\Users\brett>C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py
'C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Users\brett>python
Python 3.12.3 (tags/v3.12.3:f6650f9, Apr 9 2024, 14:05:25) [MSC v.1938 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py
File "<stdin>", line 1
C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py
^
SyntaxError: unexpected character after line continuation character

[Schauster]

Don't call the 'python' command from within the Python interpreter (>>>). Call it directly from the command line (and don't forget the .py suffix)

Output:
C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py

Ok so I tried to open the command prompt and tried both without typing python first, then it didn't have the three >>>. Afterwards, I typed python and got the 3 >>>, either way I got errors.

C:\Users\brett>C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py


'C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Users\brett>python
Python 3.12.3 (tags/v3.12.3:f6650f9, Apr 9 2024, 14:05:25) [MSC v.1938 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py
File "<stdin>", line 1
C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py
^
SyntaxError: unexpected character after line continuation character

Here is another error doing it the way you suggested.

C:\Users\brett>python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\Intro.py
python: can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\OneDrive\\Desktop\\Intro.py': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

[Gribouillis]

can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\OneDrive\\Desktop\\Intro.py': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Is there no such file? I'm not a Windows user, but you need to enter a valid path to your program.

[Schauster]

can't open file 'C:\\Users\\brett\\OneDrive\\Desktop\\Intro.py': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Is there no such file? I'm not a Windows user, but you need to enter a valid path to your program.

I've attached a screenshot of the directory path and how I have it saved in a folder on my desktop.
This is frustrating, especially since it was in the very first python tutorial video I started watching on YouTube.

[Gribouillis]

I've attached a screenshot of the directory path

Now it seems that it should be something like

Output:
python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\PythonFiles\Intro.py

[Schauster]

I've attached a screenshot of the directory path

Now it seems that it should be something like

Output:
python C:\Users\brett\OneDrive\Desktop\PythonFiles\Intro.py

Thank you very much, it works now. So if I understood correctly, if I have the 3 >>>, then I cannot call python scripts? But if I am outside of the >>>, I can call them if I type python first then the correct path?