namespace confusion

[Harald Kirsch]

Mark Robinson <m.1.robinson at herts.ac.uk> writes:
> I have a program that is organised in three files as follows:
> 
> #main.py
> #########
> 
> from first import *
> from second import *
> 
> functfirst() #from first
> functSecond() #from second
> 
> ########################
> 
> #first.py
> ##########
> 
> functfirst()
> 
> ************
> 
> #second.py
> ##########
> 
> from first import *
> 
> def functCecond():
> 	functfirst() #
> 
> -----------------------------------------------
> 
> The problem I am having is I can't access the functfirst() from
> second.py.

Its easier than you think. You don't import first.py into second.py
and so you don't access to its functions. The reason is that every
import creates a totally new namespace for the created module. AFAIK
that namespace contains by default always the same things for each and
every module. You can change that default population only with
`import' statements in the imported module.

It is *not* the case that an imported module inherits its globals()
from the importing module. Try this:

## main.py
GAGA = 1
import first.py

## first.py
print GAGA

and you'll get an error message precisely because the GAGA being
global in main.py is *not* inherited in the globals of the imported
first.py .

Insofar two consecutive import statements as you use behave quite
different from two consecutive #include directives in a C program.

  Harald Kirsch

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Harald Kirsch   | kirschh at lionbioscience.com | "How old is the epsilon?"
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