eval() of a __name__

[Kevin Turner]

I walked through compile
and eval'd myself, 
wond'red if I had a name.  

I looked at my __name__tag
and saw it said "__builtin__",
a problem apparent quite plain:

    You looked for a __name__ 
    in namespaces local;
    Failing to locate, 
    you tried going global;

        Found there some __builtins__,
        a module named __builtin__,
	in which you found me
	a __name__.

No suprise that a __name__
in a module for built-ins
should be the string 
"__builtin__" when read.

    But I for one knew that
    that was not *my* name -- 
    what should they call me instead?

I consulted my friends, 
the __str__ and the __repr__;
recommending brackets both ends.
Between them I'd put maybe a classname,
    an identifier or two.
A key '__name__' in globals, a value of "<code.vals>",
with this I was sure I was through.

                                      (...Phew!)

 

    But as I did use it I grew more confuséd,
    my imports behaving quite strange --
    The keys to the values in system dot modules
    had been given all the wrong names!

'import this.that' became "<code.this.that",
others similarly perturbed.
The effect of it was havoc in codeland:
my references -- all were disturbed!

Emperical testing shows that some __names__s are safer.
but to know which is which?  I have no sure way for
telling between the two...

So tell me, list-python, what should I do?

-- 
The moon is waning gibbous, 99.4% illuminated, 15.5 days old.