[Python-Dev] Criticism of execfile() removal in Python3

[Nick Coghlan]

On 15 June 2014 13:15, Steve Dower <Steve.Dower at microsoft.com> wrote:
> So is exec(tokenize.open(file).read()) the actual replacement for
> execfile()? Not too bad, but still not obvious (or widely promoted - I'd
> never heard of it).

Yes, that's pretty close. It's still a dubious idea due to the
implicit modification of the local namespace (and the resulting
differences in behaviour at function level due to the fact that
writing to locals() doesn't actually update the local namespace).

That said, the "implicit changes to the local namespace are a bad
idea" concern applies to exec() in general, so it was the "it's just a
shorthand for a particular use of exec" aspect that tipped in the
balance in the demise of execfile (this is also implied by the
phrasing of the relevant bullet point in PEP 3100).

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia