Newbie: Datetime, "Prog. in Win32", and how Python thinks

[Fredrik Lundh]

Max Yaffe wrote:

> 1) H&R import a module "dates' which has been dropped.  They use
> sec2asc which is also m.i.a.  I assume that the code should be adapted
> to use module datetime.  Is that correct?

the dates.py module is part of the financial modeling toolkit that is described
in chapter 6 of that book.  it's not a standard component.

> 2) Is there any list of dead modules & names from previous revs?  Is
> there any list of currently recommended modules?

the library reference should tell you if a module is no longer in use.

the various "what's new in python X.Y" documents tell you what's been
added and removed.

> 3) I was able to import datetime & get a dir(datetime) to work.
> Great.  But where is the actual code to datetime?  I can't find a
> module named datetime.py in the library.  I grepped for datetime in
> the library & found plenty of references to it but no module
> definition.  Where is it defined?

it's a C library.  in recent versions of Python, it's linked to the core
interpreter.  in earlier versions, you'll find it in the "datetime" extension
module (datetime.pyd on windows, datetimemodule.so or somesuch
on windows)

>>> import sys
>>> sys.builtin_module_names

> 4) How does the python interpreter resolve the statement "import
> datatime"?

http://effbot.org/zone/import-confusion.htm describes the general approach
for modules written in Python; built-in modules are handled before Python
scans for external modules.

</F>