[Python-Dev] Re: native code compiler? (or, OCaml vs. Python)

[Jeremy Hylton]

>>>>> "GvR" == Guido van Rossum <guido@python.org> writes:

  >> do you mean specifically random.__dict__ or any modules dict?

  GvR> Any module's dict.

  >> If the latter there would be quite some breakage.  It is at least
  >> used for monkey patching modules to make them "unittestable"
  >> which is a valid use case IMO.

  GvR> Why would this be done by patching the module's __dict__ rather
  GvR> than assigning to attributes of the module?

  >> Maybe module's dicts could be "frozen" by default and this could
  >> be explicitely turned off (via a sys-hook).

  GvR> What I proposed was only closing off write access to the
  GvR> __dict__ so that the setattr code for type module can implement
  GvR> certain restrictions (e.g. no assignment to attributes named
  GvR> "len").

I'd certainly like that feature, except for the times I'd want to
circumvent it.

On many occasions I have externally patched a module's namespace for
debugging.  It's been really convenient to replace some function with
a wrapper that does some logging or updates a table tracking currently
used resources.  I've done the same with builtin open/file.  As you
noted, it seems less useful to override other builtins for this purpose.

I'd suggest that frozen module namespaces by a feature of -O, except
that I never use -O.

Jeremy