vars(os) starts help in ActivePython!!!

[Magnus Lyckå]

The problem is caused by the Helper in site.py:

import __builtin__

...

class Helper:
        def __repr__(self):
            import inspect
            if inspect.stack()[1][3] == '?':
                self()
                return ''
            return '<Helper instance>'
        def __call__(self, arg=None):
            import pydoc
            pydoc.help(arg)

__builtin__.help = Helper()

If I run this in cygwin, I get the same phenomena there.
Here's a snippet of output:

8<--
obals': <built-in function globals>, 'int': <built-in function int>, 'float': <b
uilt-in function float>, 'SyntaxError': <class exceptions.SyntaxError at 0xa0170
74>, 'pow': <built-in function pow>, 'vars': <built-in function vars>, 'help':
Welcome to Python 2.1!  This is the online help utility.

If this is your first time using Python, you should definitely check out
the tutorial on the Internet at http://www.python.org/doc/tut/.
8<--

"del __builtin__.help", or removing the above from site.py solves the 
problem, but removes the nice help facility... But changing 

__builtin__.help = Helper()

to

__builtin__.help = Helper

should make all systems go, except that I need to type "help()" to
reach the help menu. But maybe some fix in the Helper class could
sense the vars() problem. I'm too tired to figure that out now.