[Python-Dev] Syntax suggestion for imports

[Guido van Rossum]

I wonder if your perceived need for this isn't skewed by your working
within the core?

Also, in 3.0 many of the use cases should go away -- e.g. cStringIO
vs, StringIO, etc., as we switch the stdlib to having a single
"public" name for an API which automatically replaces or augments
itself with the accelerated C version if available.

--Guido

On Jan 2, 2008 5:19 PM, Raymond Hettinger <python at rcn.com> wrote:
> The standard library, my personal code, third-party packages, and my employer's code base are filled with examples of the following pattern:
>
> try:
>    import threading
> except ImportError:
>    import dummy_threading as threading
>
> try:
>     import xml.etree.cElementTree as ET
> except ImportError:
>     try:
>         import cElementTree as ET
>     except ImportError:
>         import elementtree.ElementTree as ET
>
> try:
>     from cStringIO import StringIO
> except ImportError:
>     from StringIO import StringIO
>
> try:
>     import readline
> except ImportError:
>     pass
>
>
> How about a new, simpler syntax:
>
> * import threading or dummy_threading as threading
>
> * import xml.etree.CElementTree or cElementTree or elementree.ElementTree as ET
>
> * from cStringIO or StringIO import StringIO
>
> * import readline or emptymodule
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-- 
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)