[Python-Dev] .pyc file has different result for value "1.79769313486232e+308" than .py file

[Tim Peters]

[Dino Viehland]
> We've noticed a strange occurance on Python 2.4.3 w/ the floating point
> value 1.79769313486232e+308 and how it interacts w/ a .pyc.  Given x.py:
>
> def foo():
>         print str(1.79769313486232e+308)
>         print str(1.79769313486232e+308) == "1.#INF"
>
>
> The 1st time you run this you get the correct value, but if you reload the module
> after a .pyc is created then you get different results (and the generated byte code
> appears to have changed).
> ...

Exhaustively explained in this recent thread:

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2006-August/355986.html