[Python-Dev] PEP 273 - Import from Zip Archives (original) (raw)

Gordon McMillan gmcm@hypernet.com
Thu, 28 Feb 2002 14:06:33 -0500

On 28 Feb 2002 at 12:02, James C. Ahlstrom wrote:

The real problem isn't the string module, it is the os module. Any importer will need this. The usual hack is to duplicate its logic in the myimporter module. That is, the selection of the correct builtin os functions.

getpath.c has to invent the same filesystem primitives, since it runs before builtins are loaded.

And MAL's point that you need a C importer to import your Python importer is inescapable.

Everybody has the same bootstrap problem.

And suppose the whole Python library is in a zip file? You must have additional C code to extract and load your Python importer as well as the modules it imports.

Right. Primitives have to come from somewhere.

It seems to me that the correct solution is to use the C importer to import the myimporter Python module, plus all the imports that myimporter needs. Then you switch to resolving imports with myimporter.py. Something like this is already in my import.c patch.

Which is what almost everybody does, the exception being macPython. They use resources a lot, and most of the import extensions are built in at a very low level.

I don't think this discussion should hold up installing my zip import patches.

Not at all. Getting zip files onto sys.path is a very good thing.

-- Gordon http://www.mcmillan-inc.com/