[Python-Dev] Bug in from __future__ processing?

[Tim Peters]

[Martin Maly]
> The Python spec states that the "from __future__ import …" statement can
> only occur at the beginning of the file, preceded only by doc strings,
> comments, empty lines or other future statements. The following code
> snippets, however, don't raise Syntax error in Python 2.4.2. Is it a bug?
>
> I am asking whether in IronPython we should try to match behavior of Python
> compiler, or stick to the language spec. In this case, I believe that we
> should stick to the spec and report a bug in Python compiler.

Guido bumped into this about a month ago, noting that he thought it
was a bug in current Python trunk that the PEP restrictions _are_
followed now.  I replied that I thought it was a bug in released
Pythons that the PEP restrictions were _not_ followed:

    http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2006-January/060247.html

Doesn't look like Guido responded, so I'll channel him and declare
that he intended to agree with me after all ;-)