[Python-Dev] Dropping __init__.py requirement for subpackages

[Delaney, Timothy (Tim)]

Guido van Rossum wrote:

>> http://python.org/sf/1477281
>> 
>> (You can call it 'oldtimer-repellant' if you want to use it to
>> convince people there isn't any *real* backward-compatibility issue.)
> 
> I'd worry that it'll cause complaints when the warning is incorrect
> and a certain directory is being skipped intentionally. E.g. the
> "string" directory that someone had. Getting a warning like this can
> be just as upsetting to newbies!

I really think it would be more useful having an ImportError containing
a suggestion than having a warning. Anyone who knows it's bogus can just
ignore it.

I'd probably make it that all directories that could have been imports
get listed.

FWIW I was definitely a kneejerk -1. After reading all the messages in
this thread, I think I'm now a non-kneejerk -1. It seems like gratuitous
change introducing inconsistency for minimal benefit - esp. if there is
a notification that a directory *could* have been a package on import
failure. I think it's a useful feature of Python that it's simple to
distinguish a package from a non-package.

Tim Delaney