[Python-Dev] Unloading modules (regrtest.py mystery)

[Tim Peters]

[MAL]
> ...
> Would be nice if we could come up with a reasonable way of unloading
> modules, but I guess this requires some hard PEP work...

Yes, I believe it would.  There are different kinds of unloading too:  a
module may well want to do different things depending on whether, e.g., it's
really a reload, or it's because Py_Finalize was called ... hmm!  That
reminds me:  Guido sent me this msg in March; it's still sitting in my inbox
waiting for a rainy day:

"""
OK, so we need to define a way for modules to specify a function to be
called at cleanup time.  I propose that we bring this out in the open,
at least in python-dev.  Note that there are three or four potential
cleanup times:

- when the module object is deleted from sys.modules

- when reload() is used on an extension

- when an interpreter created with PyInterpreter_New() is finalized

- when Py_Finalize() is called

- when Python exits

- when the Python DLL is unloaded (Windows only)
"""

There.  Somebody double the word count and call it a PEP <wink>.

Note that this is orthogonal to regrtest -r's woes.