Collin Winter wrote: > Hallo all, > I'd like to propose that in Py3.0 (if not earlier), __builtins__ will > be the same type regardless of which namespace you're in. Tim Peters > has said [1] that the reason __builtins__ in __main__ is a module so > that "the curious don't get flooded with output when doing vars() at > the prompt". Based on this, I propose that __builtins__ be a module > (really, an alias for the __builtin__ module as it is now) in all > namespaces. > > If possible, I'd like to see this go in before 3.0. The reference > manual currently states [2] that __builtins__ can be either a dict or > a module, so changing it to always be a module would still be in > keeping with this. However, I realise that there's probably code out > there that hasn't been written to deal with both types, so this would > result in some minor breakage (though it would be easily fixable). > > If this gets a good response, I'll kick it up to python-dev.
A few questions: How would this change, if made in a minimal way, impact the "provide alternate globals() and locals() to eval and exec" feature? Altering __builtins__ is a half-assed way of providing some sort of security, but it's probably useful in preventing user-supplied code from shooting itself in the foot without aiming first. Secondly, wouldn't this also be a good time to implement modules as actual objects, so (e.g) modules could provide a __getattribute__ for references of the form modname.thing? If the change can't be made without breaking the altering of __builtins__ for exec/eval, then I'm -0.5. Otherwise, +1, and the second bit is probably good for further debate. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
