[Python-Dev] disable writing .py[co]

[Guido van Rossum]

> In http://python.org/sf/602345 (option for not writing .py[co] files)
> Martin suggested that in addition to a flag (-R, as in read-only),
> perhaps there should be an env't variable and/or a sys attribute
> which controls whether .py[co] files are written or not.
> 
> Opinions?  
> 
> If you like the idea of an env't variable or sys attribute, do you
> have suggestions for names?  PYTHONREADONLY and sys.readonly_import?

Traditionally, this has been the area of environment variables (tested
at the time when main() parses its arguments) and command line
options.  Do you really need to be able to control this dynamically
during program execution?

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)