[Python-Dev] Syntax suggestion for imports (original) (raw)

Raymond Hettinger python at rcn.com
Thu Jan 3 02:19:27 CET 2008


The standard library, my personal code, third-party packages, and my employer's code base are filled with examples of the following pattern:

try: import threading except ImportError: import dummy_threading as threading

try: import xml.etree.cElementTree as ET except ImportError: try: import cElementTree as ET except ImportError: import elementtree.ElementTree as ET

try: from cStringIO import StringIO except ImportError: from StringIO import StringIO

try: import readline except ImportError: pass

How about a new, simpler syntax:



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