[Python-3000] [Python-Dev] dbm.sqlite

[Nick Coghlan]

M.-A. Lemburg wrote:
> On 2008-09-10 00:26, skip at pobox.com wrote:
>>     mal> Besides, what's so bad with downloading and installing a package
>>     mal> from PyPI ?
>>
>> Nothing, I do it all the time.  But my impression is that when an external
>> module moves into the core it frequently undergoes some type of name change
>> (e.g. pysqlite vs sqlite3 or Optik vs optparse) even if the two versions are
>> functionally identical.  In this case, my hope is that dbm.sqlite will
>> eventually move into the distributed dbm package.  If so, it would be nice
>> if the move was transparent.
> 
> Transparent as in "I don't have to change my code" ?
> 
> I actually find it helpful to have the PyPI packages that ended up in
> the stdlib use different names, since that opens up the possibility
> to use the more current releases from PyPI in an application.
> 
> Switching back to the core version usually just takes a one line
> change, if at all...
> 
> try:
>     import pysqlite as sqlite
> except ImportError:
>     import sqlite3 as sqlite
> 
I still think it would be kind of nice to be able to write that as:

import pysqlite or sqlite3 as sqlite

(ditto for "from pysqlite or sqlite3 import <whatever>")

You could even do it as a pre-AST transform (similar to
try/except/finally) and not even have to go anywhere near the
implementation of the import system itself.

I've never been motivated enough to write a PEP about it though.

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
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