[Python-Dev] Add __exports__ to modules

[Moshe Zadka]

[Tim Peters]
> modules aren't classes or instances, and in normal practice modules
> accumulate all sorts of accidental attrs (due to careless (== normal)
> imports, and module init code).  It doesn't make any *sense* that os exports
> "sys" either, or that random exports "cos", or that cgi exports "string", or
> ... this inelegance is ubiquitous.

[Greg Stein]
> Simple question: so what?
> 
> "Oh, no! My module exposes mod.sys! Oh, woe is me!"  *snort*

Let me "me to" here:
Put another way, what Greg said is just a rephrase of "don't use from
foo import * unless foo's docos say it's OK". Add to that the simple
access control of a leading underscore, and I don't see any place
which needs it.

Something better to do would be to use 
import foo as _foo

In some standard library modules, and minimize using from foo import bar
in them. Since everyone know that leading underscore means "implementation
detail - ignore at your convenience, use at yor peril", this would keep
the "we're all adults" philosophy of Python, with all the advantages
*I* see in __exports__.

One more point against __exports__, which I hoped I would not have to
make (but when I'm up against the timbot *and* Guido, I need to pull
out the heavy artillery): it would *totally* stop any hope in the
future of module level __getattr__ (or at least complicate the semantics).
I think Alex M. is thinking of a PEP, but he's taking his time, since
no PEPs can be considered until 2.1 is out.
-- 
Moshe Zadka <sig@zadka.site.co.il>
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