CONSTRUCT - Python's way of Ruby's "alias_method"

[Duncan Booth]

Ilias Lazaridis wrote:

> I would like to know, if this construct is valid, or if it can result in 
> problems (that I do not see as a newcomer):
> 
>       1082    try:
>       1083        from django.rework.evolve import evolvedb
>       1084    except ImportError:
>       1085        def evolvedb():
>       1086            "Evolve Command Dummy"
>       1087            print 'Command evolvedb not imported'
>       1088        evolvedb.args =''

The only real problem here is that if django.rework.evolve imports 
something else which doesn't exist you get your fallback code instead of 
reporting the error. In other words there is a chance that you could mask a 
deeper problem.

If this worries you then you could do:

try:
    from django.rework.evolve import evolvedb
except ImportError, e:
    if str(e).rsplit(' ')[-1] != 'django.rework.evolve':
        raise
    ... rest of code here ...