[Python-Dev] Issue 10194 - Adding a gc.remap() function

[Neil Schemenauer]

Peter Ingebretson <pingebre at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am happy to write up a PEP for this feature.  I'll start that 
> process now, though if anyone feels that this idea has no chance of 
> acceptance please let me know.

I think a feature that allows modules to be more reliability
reloaded could be accepted.  Martin's suggestion sounds like it
could be useful.  I would recommend trying to limit the scope of the
feature and clearly define what it intends to achieve (e.g. use
cases).

The idea of replacing references does not seem to have much hope,
IMHO.  It presents all kinds of subtle problems.  Dictionary hashing
is only one of many invariants that could be broken by blindly
replacing references.  You have no way of knowing what other
invariants are expected or if the new objects will satisfy them.

Also, there would have to be a very compelling reason to change to
the signature of "visitproc".  Every Python module that participates
in GC would have to be modified as a result of the signature change.

Regards,

  Neil