Hi all,
I am the author of the ``future`` package for Python 2/3 compatibility
(http://python-future.org). A bug report has recently been posted about its use
of import hooks that I don't yet have an answer for, and I am looking for some
guidance on how to customize the import mechanism in a safer way.
The current interface is as follows:
>>> from future import standard_library
Any subsequent import statements using Python 3-style module names are mapped
onto the relevant Python 2-style names (or, where needed, backported modules
provided by ``future``). For example, these then work in the same way on both
Python 2 and Python 3:
>>> from http.client import HttpConnection
>>> import html.parser
>>> import queue
>>> import configparser
Although this is a nice interface, reminiscent of ``from __future__ import
...``, the problem is that the current implementation, which appends finder
objects to the ``sys.meta_path`` list
(http://docs.python.org/2/library/sys.html#sys.meta_path) renders the import
hooks globally, even for modules imported by other modules. What I want instead
is for the import hooks to apply only to a particular module, so that a script
containing:
from future import standard_library
import requests
would not apply the import hooks to modules imported within the ``requests``
module, merely to import statements in the script itself.
There is a note in the Python 3.3 documentation (and the current Python 3.4
draft) that I had hoped would provide the answer for how to implement this:
"When calling __import__()
(http://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#__import__)
as part of an import statement, the import system first checks the module
global namespace for a function by that name. If it is not found, then the
standard builtin __import__()
(http://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#__import__)
is called."
If this were true, it would be possible to change the interface to something
like this:
>>> from future.standard_library import __import__
which would then override the ``__import__`` function in ``builtins`` or
``__builtin__`` affecting subsequent ``import`` statements only in that module.
The interface wouldn't be quite as nice, but it wouldn't cause the import hooks
to bleed into other modules that don't need them. However, the docs seem to be
wrong; defining __import__ as a global seems to have no effect on imports in
Py3.3, and ``future`` needs to implement this for Python 2 anyway.
Can you think of a way to implement import hooks safely, for one particular
module, while providing a nice clean interface? Preferably this would remain
accessible through a one-line import like ``from future import
standard_library``.
Thanks in advance for any ideas!
Best wishes,
Ed
--
Dr. Edward Schofield
(M) +61 (0)405 676 229
Python Charmers
http://pythoncharmers.com
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
