[Python-Dev] Hook Extension Module Import?

[David Abrahams]

Aahz <aahz@pythoncraft.com> writes:

> On Sun, Apr 20, 2003, David Abrahams wrote:
>> Aahz <aahz@pythoncraft.com> writes:
>>> On Sun, Apr 20, 2003, David Abrahams wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> I think I need a way to temporarily (from 'C'), arrange to be notified
>>>> just before and just after a new extension module is loaded.  Is this
>>>> possible?  I didn't see anything obvious in the source.  BTW, I'd be
>>>> just as happy if it were possible to do the same thing for any module
>>>> (i.e., not discriminating between extension and pure python modules).
>>>
>>> http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0302.html
>> 
>> I guess I should take that to mean "you can't do that yet" (?)
>
> As the PEP says, you *could* define an __import__ hook, but that would
> likely be more effort than you want.

It also says:
   
    The situation gets worse when you need to extend the import
    mechanism from C: it's currently impossible, apart from hacking
    Python's import.c or reimplementing much of import.c from scratch.

OTOH, it's not obvious to me why this should be so.  Can't I
access/replace builtins.__import__ from C/C++?

That said, if I could do that, it doesn't seem like much trouble at
all to get the behavior I want.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com