old_contents: #! /usr/bin/env python2
  from __future__ import print_function
  
  ''' summon.py
  A simple wrapper for OS-dependent file launchers.
  
  Copyright 2013 Julian Gonggrijp
  Licensed under the Red Spider Project License.
  See the License.txt that shipped with your copy of this software for details.
  '''
  
  import sys
  import subprocess
  
  if sys.platform.startswith('win32'):
      summoning_command = ['start']
  elif sys.platform.startswith('darwin'):
      summoning_command = ['open']
  else:  # linux assumed
      summoning_command = ['xdg-open']
  
  def main (argv = None):
      if not argv:
          print(usage_msg)
      else:
          for filename in argv:
              subprocess.call(summoning_command + [filename])
  
  usage_msg = '''
  Call me with a space-separated list of file paths and I'll summon
  them for you.
  '''
  
  if __name__ == '__main__':
      main(sys.argv[1:])
  
new_contents: #! /usr/bin/env python2
  from __future__ import print_function
  
  ''' summon.py
  A simple wrapper for OS-dependent file launchers.
  
  Copyright 2013 Julian Gonggrijp
  Licensed under the Red Spider Project License.
  See the License.txt that shipped with your copy of this software for details.
  '''
  
  import sys
  import subprocess
  
  useshell = False
  if sys.platform.startswith('win32'):
      summoning_command = ['start']
      useshell = True
  elif sys.platform.startswith('darwin'):
      summoning_command = ['open']
  else:  # linux assumed
      summoning_command = ['xdg-open']
  
  def main (argv = None):
      if not argv:
          print(usage_msg)
      else:
          for filename in argv:
              subprocess.call(summoning_command + [filename], shell = useshell)
  
  usage_msg = '''
  Call me with a space-separated list of file paths and I'll summon
  them for you.
  '''
  
  if __name__ == '__main__':
      main(sys.argv[1:])
  
subject: Use shell in subprocess.call for Windows.