[Python-Dev] [poll] New name for __builtins__

Alexandre Vassalotti alexandre at peadrop.com
Tue Dec 4 18:49:32 CET 2007


I just want to let you all know that the name issue was settled and
committed to py3k branch a few days ago. It was chosen to simply
rename the module __builtin__ to builtins.

-- Alexandre

On Nov 29, 2007 6:15 AM, Nick Coghlan <ncoghlan at gmail.com> wrote:
> Given that the *effect* of __builtins__ is to make the contents of the
> __builtin__ module implicitly available in every module's global
> namespace, why not call it __implicit__?
>
> I really don't like all of these __root__ inspired names, because
> __builtin__ isn't the root of any Python hierarchy that I know of.
>
>  >>> import sys
>  >>> import __builtin__
>  >>> __builtin__.sys
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>    File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
> AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'sys'
>
> The builtin namespace doesn't know anything about other modules, the
> current module's global namespace, the current function's local
> variables, or much of anything really. To me, the concept of "root" in a
> computing sense implies a node from which you can reach every other node
> - from the root of the filesystem you can get to every other directory,
> as the root user you can access any other account, etc. To those that
> like these names, what do you consider __root__ to be the root of?
>


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