Windows py Launcher Defaults to Python 3.13t

[zetaloop]

Bug report

Bug description:

When invoking the py launcher on Windows without specifying a version, it defaults to the experimental free-threading build of Python 3.13 (python3.13t) instead of the standard release. This behavior is unexpected, as users typically expect the launcher to default to the standard stable version.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Install Python 3.13 with experimental free-threaded binaries.
2. Run the command py.
3. Observe the Python version that is launched.

Observed Output:

Python 3.13.0 experimental free-threading build (tags/v3.13.0:60403a5, Oct 7 2024, 09:53:29) [MSC v.1941 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

When listing available Python versions using py --list, the output is:

 -V:3.13t *       Python 3.13 (64-bit, freethreaded)
 -V:3.13          Python 3.13 (64-bit)
 -V:3.12          Python 3.12 (64-bit)
 -V:3.11          Python 3.11 (64-bit)

This issue may cause unintended use of an experimental Python build, leading to unexpected behavior in scripts and applications.

CPython versions tested on:

3.13

Operating systems tested on:

Windows

[ZeroIntensity]

cc @zooba

[zetaloop]

Should the py launcher prioritize non-suffixed versions over suffixed ones (e.g., defaulting to 3.13 rather than 3.13t)?

[zooba]

No, the py launcher uses its existing rules to sort tags. There's no version logic in there.

If you don't want it to default to the default tag, you can customize your default or choose not to install the experimental build.