[Python-Dev] Import Design

[James C. Ahlstrom]

"M.-A. Lemburg" wrote:

> The point I want to make is: there aren't all that many features
> we are really looking for, so why not incorporate these into
> the builtin importer and only *then* start thinking about
> schemes for hooks, managers, etc. ?!

Marc has made this point before, and I think it should be
considered carefully.  It is a lot of work to re-create the
current import logic in Python and it is almost guaranteed
to be slower.  So why do it?

I like imputil.py because it leads
to very simple Python installations.  I view this as
a Python promotion issue.  If we have a boot mechanism plus
archive files, we can have few-file Python installations
with package addition being just adding another file.

But at least some of this code must be in C.  I volunteer to
write the rest of it in C if that is what people want.  But it
would add two hundred more lines of code to import.c.  So
maybe now is the time to switch to imputil, instead of waiting
for later.

But I am indifferent as long as I can tell a Python user
to just put an archive file libpy.pyl in his Python directory
and everything will Just Work.

Jim Ahlstrom