[Python-Dev] imputil and modulefinder replacements (original) (raw)

Gordon McMillan gmcm@hypernet.com
Fri, 5 Oct 2001 07:58:05 -0400

Thomas,

Some comments: To fully simulate python's behaviour for import, the case of the filename must be checked on windows.

True. Sigh.

I found only two possibilities to do this - the first one is to use os.listdir() which is probably expensive, but it returns filenames with the actual case. Second would be to use Mark's win32api.FindFiles(), but this may not be available.

Your metapath models Python's import policy. One part of the policy is that already loaded modules are fetched from sys.modules instead of imported again. Should this behaviour also be modeled by a SysModulesCacheDirector on your metapath?

That's already done by the ImportManager as soon as he's got a candidate fqname.

What about reload? Shouldn't a new import-util module also implement a reload-replacement?

Yes, it should.

> I would like to propose these (or something quite like them) as > replacements for the official versions. The code is quite > similar (in fact, the modulefinder code could have been written > by subclassing the imputil stuff, but I wrote them the other > way 'round). > It seems noone cares about this. imputil is in the distribution, but is it really 'official'?

The entire subject seems to have dropped off radar, after starting out as highly controversial (the Import-SIG was started so the ihooks-partisans could hash it out with the imputil- partisans). Import hacks are more common than ever, but they're all home-grown now.