[Python-Dev] Data Descriptors on module objects (was Re: draft PEP: Trace and Profile Support for Threads)

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 07:22 PM 4/24/03 -0400, Aahz wrote:

>Data descriptors on module objects.

If you *really* need them, you can have them.

from types import ModuleType
import time, sys

class ModuleWithDescriptor(ModuleType):

     bar = property(lambda self: time.time())


moduleFoo = ModuleWithDescriptor()

# named module must be importable, but not yet imported;
# parent package must be in sys.modules
moduleFoo.__name__ = "mypackage.foo"
sys.modules['mypacakge.foo'] =
reload(moduleFoo)

import mypackage.foo

# watch the time change...
print mypackage.foo.bar
print mypackage.foo.bar


I *love* new-style classes.  I use the trick above for lazy module 
importation; a subclass of ModuleType that doesn't import itself until the 
first time a __getattribute__ occurs.