FW: Strange behaviour of __del__

[Tom Harris]

Greetings,

Playing around with the __del__ method of classes led me to this odd
observation:

<<in file Script1.py>>
class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        if a:
            raise RuntimeError

    def __del__(self):
        print 'In __del__()...'

import Script1
>>> a = Script1.A(1)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in ?
  File "Script1.py", line 4, in __init__
    raise RuntimeError
RuntimeError
>>> del a
In __del__()...
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in ?
NameError: name 'a' is not defined
>>>        

Why is the __del__ method being called? Note that Python raised a NameError.
If 'a' is not defined, how does Python find, let alone call a method on it.
Am I expectiong Python to be like C++ where a class instance is not
constructed until it falls off the last brace of the constructor?

Tom Harris, Software Engineer
Optiscan Imaging, 15-17 Normanby Rd, Notting Hill, Melbourne, Vic 3168,
Australia
email tomh at optiscan.com     ph +61 3 9538 3333  fax +61 3 9562 7742

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