[Python-Dev] Great Renaming? What is the goal?

[Jeremy Hylton]

>>>>> "KLM" == Ken Manheimer <klm@digicool.com> writes:

  >> The only problematic use of from ... import ... is 
  >>     from text.re import * 
  >> which adds an unspecified set of names to the current
  >> namespace.

  KLM> The other gotcha i mean applies when the thing you're importing
  KLM> is a terminal, ie a non-module.  Then, changes to the
  KLM> assignments of the names in the original module aren't
  KLM> reflected in the names you've imported - they're decoupled from
  KLM> the namespace of the original module.

This isn't an import issue.  Some people simply don't understand
that assignment (and import as form of assignment) is name binding.
Import binds an imported object to a name in the current namespace.
It does not affect bindings in other namespaces, nor should it.

  KLM> I thought the other problem peter was objecting to, having to
  KLM> change the import sections in the first place, was going to be
  KLM> avoided in the 1.x series (if we do this kind of thing) by
  KLM> inherently extending the import path to include all the
  KLM> packages, so people need not change their code?  Seems like
  KLM> most of this would be fairly transparent w.r.t. the operation
  KLM> of existing applications.

I'm not sure if there is consensus on backwards compatibility.  I'm
not in favor of creating a huge sys.path that includes every package's
contents.  It would be a big performance hit.

Jeremy