[Python-Dev] Python 3.0rc2: problem with exec()ing files

[Jukka Aho]

The current Py3k documentation [1] states that the built-in exec() 
function should be able to execute code from "open file objects":

--- 8< ---

exec(object[, globals[, locals]])

This function supports dynamic execution of Python code. object must be 
either a string, an open file object, or a code object. [...] If it is 
an open file, the file is parsed until EOF and executed.

--- 8< ---

However, at least on Python 3.0rc2 [2], this does not seem to work. 
Please consider the following example:

1) First, let's prepare a source file which will contain a single line 
of Python code (it is assumed here that it is safe to save the file in 
the current working path):

 >>> f = open("exectest.py", mode="wt", encoding="utf-8")
 >>> f.write("print('Hello world!')\n")
 22
 >>> f.close()

2) Then, try executing that newly created file with the exec() function. 
What I get is this:

 >>> f = open("exectest.py", mode="rb")
 >>> exec(f)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "<pyshell#30>", line 1, in <module>
     exec(f)
 TypeError: exec() arg 1 must be a string, bytes or code object
 >>> f
 <io.BufferedReader object at 0x013832D0>

* * *

So, am I seeing this behavior because...

a) I've misinterpreted the available documentation

b) The documentation does not agree with the current development goals

c) It is a bug or a yet-to-be-implemented feature of the built-in exec() 
function?

_____

[1] <http://docs.python.org/dev/3.0/library/functions.html#exec>

[2] Python 3.0rc2 (r30rc2:67141, Nov  7 2008, 11:43:46) [MSC v.1500 32 
bit (Intel)] on win32, to be exact.

-- 
znark