[Python-ideas] [Python-Dev] If you shadow a module in the standard library that IDLE depends on, bad things happen

[Laura Creighton]

In a message of Sun, 01 Nov 2015 20:02:23 +1100, Chris Angelico writes:
>> But the kid who just wrote string.py or turtle.py will still have
>> the 'why isn't this working at all?' experience instead of something
>> that warns her what her problem is.
>
>Right. The warning when you save a file of that name is still a useful
>thing; it's orthogonal to this, though. (FWIW I think the warning's a
>good idea, but it's no panacea.)
>
>ChrisA

Adding warnings to IDLE when you save a file is a fine idea, and will
help IDLE users avoid pain.  I want to help _everybody_ with a change
to Python, so that it issues a warning when you shadow something in
the standard library.

Something like:
Warning: local file /u/lac/junk/string.py shadows module named string in the 
Standard Library

Note, for somebody implementing this.  Teachers will find the message slightly
more useful if it prints the full path name.

Laura