childProcess pid is not the same pid as python pid

[LeonardoRick]

Describe the bug
childProcess under PythonShell.childProcess.pid is not the same pid as python os.getpid() pid

Python code

import sys
import os

class Unbuffered(object):
    def __init__(self, stream):
        self.stream = stream

    def write(self, data):
        self.stream.write(data)
        self.stream.flush()

    def writelines(self, datas):
        self.stream.writelines(datas)
        self.stream.flush()

    def __getattr__(self, attr):
        return getattr(self.stream, attr)

sys.stdout = Unbuffered(sys.stdout)
print(f'python pid: {os.getpid()}')

Javascript code

const options = { scriptPath: 'C:\\users\\leona\\iq\\iq-websocket\\python\\botR'};
const pyTeste = new PythonShell('teste.py', options);
pyTeste
  .on('message', (line: string) => {
    console.log(line);
  })
  .on('stderr', (std: string) => {
    console.log(std);
  })
  .on('error', err => {
    console.log('err');
    console.log(err);
  })
  .on('close', () => {
    console.log('Programa finalizado');
  });

console.log(`child process pid: ${pyTeste.childProcess.pid}`);

Expected behavior
Both pids should be the same

Actual behavior
output:

child process pid: 52188
python pid: 40884

Other Information (please complete the following information):

• OS: Windows10
• Python Version: 3.8.7
• Node Version: 12.15.0

[Almenon]

This is because the py launcher launches python as a subprocess. To launch python directly you can set pythonPath in the options to the path of your python executable. See https://github.com/extrabacon/python-shell#pythonshellscript-options-constructor

Maybe I should go back to python as default instead of py 🤔 Unfortunately python installation on windows has a lot of complicated nuances. Python does this weird thing where it's either installed for a specific user (in which case the user has to opt into adding python to the PATH) or for all users (in which case the py executable is created in C:\\windows). Neither solution is guaranteed to result in python being in the PATH. Further complicating matters is that windows has a python alias that launches the windows app store to get python if python is not in the PATH. This could either be helpful or a surprising annoyance depending on how you look at it.

I think to for simplicity and the principle of least surprise I should go back to using python as the default python path. Some people might be annoyed at the windows store popping up, but not sure if there's anything I can do about that. Besides mentioning it in the documentation of course. What do you think?

[LeonardoRick]

I don't know what's related about the windows store popping up and you setting python path as default. I did not had this problem setting python instead of py.

I guess it's counter intuitive to have different pids when { shell: false }is defined, and false is the default value, right?

If so, yeah, maybe it's better to use python instead.

[Almenon]

I don't know what's related about the windows store popping up and you setting python path as default. I did not had this problem setting python instead of py.

see https://superuser.com/questions/1437590/typing-python-on-windows-10-version-1903-command-prompt-opens-microsoft-stor

[Almenon]

This should be fixed with pythonshell version 3