[Python-Dev] #12982: Should -O be required to *read* .pyo files?

Antoine Pitrou solipsis at pitrou.net
Wed Jun 13 20:46:50 CEST 2012


On Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:20:24 -0700
Toshio Kuratomi <a.badger at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 13, 2012 at 01:58:10PM -0400, R. David Murray wrote:
> > 
> > OK, but you didn't answer the question :).  If I understand correctly,
> > everything you said applies to *writing* the bytecode, not reading it.
> > 
> > So, is there any reason to not use the .pyo file (if that's all that is
> > around) when -O is not specified?
> > 
> > The only technical reason I can see why -O should be required for a .pyo
> > file to be used (*if* it is the only thing around) is if it won't *run*
> > without the -O switch.  Is there any expectation that that will ever be
> > the case?
> > 
> Yes.  For instance, if I create a .pyo with -OO it wouldn't have docstrings.
> Another piece of code can legally import that and try to use the docstring
> for something.  This would fail if only the .pyo was present.

Not only docstrings, but also asserts. I think running a pyo without -O
would be a bug.

Regards

Antoine.




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