[Python-Dev] Relative import

[Greg Ewing]

>   import P.Q            (1)
>   from P.Q import X     (2)
> 
> would only look for P in sys.path (I'll call this "absolute import");
> and
> 
>   from ...P.Q import X  (3)
> 
> would scan for P upwards from the current package.
> 
> I think this addresses all the concerns I've seen brought up in this
> thread so far

No, it doesn't address my concern that scan-upwards semantics
should be the default, in the sense of being what should be
used in the absence of a reason to do otherwise, and should
therefore have the most straightforward syntax.

Also, you don't seem to have anything for the explicitly-relative
case, which might not be strictly necessary, but I think
I'd feel more comfortable if it were available somehow.

Thinking about the double_underscore names, it might not
be so bad if they were a bit shorter, e.g.

   A: __root__.P.Q
   B: __here__.P.Q
      __here__.__parent__.P.Q
   C: P.Q

Greg Ewing, Computer Science Dept, +--------------------------------------+
University of Canterbury,	   | A citizen of NewZealandCorp, a	  |
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greg at cosc.canterbury.ac.nz	   +--------------------------------------+