[Python-Dev] Advice in stat.py

[Thomas Wouters]

On Sun, Jul 29, 2001 at 01:00:59PM -0400, Guido van Rossum wrote:

> > (with future statement)
> > >>> def spam(x):
> > ...       from stat import *
> > ...       def eggs():
> > ...           print x
> > ... 
> >   File "<stdin>", line 2
> > SyntaxError: import * is not allowed in function 'spam' because it contains
> > a nested function with free variables

> Hm.  I'm curious why it was not made a warning without a nested
> function.  Perhaps because too much 3rd party code would trigger the
> warning? 

Yes.

> (I have a feeling that lots of amateur programmers are a lot
> fonder of import * than they should be :-( ).

Oh yeah. If ActiveState's mailinglist statistics were extended to show
howmany of my posts preach against using 'import *', I'd be top dog in the
python-list stats :-) I also still owe Fred a tutorial chapter on why not to
use import * :)

> > >>> def spam(x,y):
> > ...      exec y
> > ...      def eggs():
> > ...          print x

> That one is just fine I think.

Why is 'import *' inside a function fine, but a bare exec isn't ? Weren't
you going to deprecate bare exec's altogether ?

-- 
Thomas Wouters <thomas@xs4all.net>

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