[Python-Dev] Add a -z interpreter flag to execute a zip file

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 09:55 AM 7/23/2007 -0700, Guido van Rossum wrote:
>On 7/12/07, Daniel Stutzbach <daniel at stutzbachenterprises.com> wrote:
> > On 7/11/07, Andy C <andychup at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > The good thing about this is that it's extremely simple -- basically
> > > 20 lines of C code to add a -z flag that calls a 3-line Python
> > > function in the runpy module.
> >
> > Instead of requiring a -z flag, why not have the interpreter peak at
> > the file to see if it starts with one of the ZIP magic numbers?
> >
> > That way it Just Works.
>
>I guess you wouldn't recognize a zip file if it hits you in the face.
>Literally. :-)
>
>Zip files don't start with a magic number.

I've actually started on a patch that uses the standard import hooks 
to figure out how to import __main__ from sys.argv[0], if it's 
something that an import hook can be found for (otherwise, it falls 
back to normal behavior).

At this point, the problem is that __main__ is a builtin module and 
already exists when this processing is being done, so trying to 
reload it in a straightforward way doesn't work.  (Nor does using the 
standard -m logic.)

If I can figure out how to work around that bit, we won't need a -z 
flag, which means a #! line for zipfiles is possible on 'nix, and we 
can support arbitrary import hooks for sys.argv[0].  (Assuming 
they're either built-in or registered via sitecustomize, that is.)