import, functions, and threading

[Aahz]

There were some posts recently discussing whether it's poor style to put
import statements inside functions.  I recently got reminded that there's
one very good reason to avoid it: Python has an import lock that blocks
more than one thread from executing import statements.  Putting import
statements inside functions that might be called in a threaded
environment is asking for deadlock trouble.

-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"Do not taunt happy fun for loops. Do not change lists you are looping over."
--Remco Gerlich, comp.lang.python