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

[Alexander Walters]

On 11/1/2015 08:53, Laura Creighton wrote:
> In a message of Sun, 01 Nov 2015 08:25:54 -0500, Alexander Walters writes:
>> Honestly, shadowing modules is something that should be solved by
>> renaming modules.  If you are worrying about shadowing ONLY the standard
>> library - guess what?  those names don't change often, and are well
>> known.  Don't use those names.
> The problem is that the sort of people who make these errors don't
> know the names.  Knowing that 'turtle.py' is a bad name for 'my
> very first program that does turtle graphics' is a more advanced
> skill than the turtle program writers, or even their teachers, can
> be expected to have.
This is what is called a teachable moment.  It is BETTER that python 
does nothing to prevent or warn the user.  Let them fail, and fail 
hard.  Its better for them to fail.  I see any argument against this as 
pure detriment to the user.  Wanting these warnings is wanting to 
disadvantage the new user - debugging shadowed names is a skill you need 
in your toolbox, and this deprives people of that vital early lesson.