[New-bugs-announce] [issue4220] Builtins treated as free variables?

[David Fugate]

New submission from David Fugate <dfugate at microsoft.com>:

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
VERSION AFFECTED: 2.5 and 2.6
BUILD TYPE: x86
FLAGS PASSED TO PYTHON.EXE: None
OPERATING SYSTEM: 32-bit Windows Vista SP1

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
According to 
http://docs.python.org/dev/reference/executionmodel.html#interaction-
with-dynamic-features, a free variable is a variable used from some 
local scope that is not defined there.  The behavior of Python 2.5/2.6 
is that it treats certain Python keywords and builtin types/functions 
used in nested scopes as free variables as well.  This seems a little 
odd.

Could the documentation be clarified to state: usage of certain Python 
keywords are considered to be free variables.  I.e., a line simply 
containing "int" triggers the free variable behavior.  Alternatively, 
usage of builtin types/functions could be allowed from nested functions 
with calls to "exec"…

Thanks,

Dave

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
REPRODUCTION SNIPPET:
def a():
    def b():
        x = long(3) #Replace me with "x = 3L" and this works
        int #This must be commented out
        exec ""


emits the following:
      File "garbage.py", line 4
        exec ""
     SyntaxError: unqualified exec is not allowed in function 'b' it is 
a nested function
unless the "x = long(3)" and "int" lines are commented out.

----------
assignee: georg.brandl
components: Documentation, Interpreter Core
files: garbage.py
messages: 75289
nosy: dfugate, georg.brandl
severity: normal
status: open
title: Builtins treated as free variables?
type: compile error
versions: Python 2.5.3, Python 2.6
Added file: http://bugs.python.org/file11900/garbage.py

_______________________________________
Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue4220>
_______________________________________