[Python-Dev] Autoloading? (Making Queue.Queue easier to use)

[Michael Chermside]

> Guido van Rossum writes:
> Code that *doesn't* need Queue but does use threading
> shouldn't have to pay for loading Queue.py.

Greg Ewing responds:
> What we want in this kind of situation is some sort
> of autoloading mechanism, so you can import something
> from a module and have it trigger the loading of another
> module behind the scenes to provide it.

John Camera comments:
> Bad idea unless it is tied to a namespace.  So that users knows
> where this auto-loaded functionality is coming from.  Otherwise
> it's just as bad as 'from xxx import *'.

John, I think what Greg is suggesting is that we include Queue
in the threading module, but that we use a Clever Trick(TM) to
address Guido's point by not actually loading the Queue code
until the first time (if ever) that it is used.

I'm not familiar with the clever trick Greg is proposing, but I
do agree that _IF_ everything else were equal, then Queue seems
to belong in the threading module. My biggest reason is that I
think anyone who is new to threading probably shouldn't use any
communication mechanism OTHER than Queue or something similar
which has been carefully designed by someone knowlegable.

-- Michael Chermside