Strange xml.parsers.expat import problem [corrected subject]

[dwelch91 at gmail.com]

I was able to fix (i.e., work around) this issue by using the import:

import xml.parsers.expat as expat

and then referring to:

expat.ExpatError

I have no idea why this makes it work, seems like a bug in Python to
me.

-Don


dwelch91 at gmail.com wrote:
> Sorry, that should have been "xml.parsers.expat"
>
> dwelch91 at gmail.com wrote:
> > Hi, c.l.p.'ers-
> >
> > I am having a problem with the import of xml.parsers.expat that has
> > gotten me completely stumped. I have two programs, one a PyQt program
> > and one a command line (text) program that both eventually call the
> > same code that imports xml.parsers.expat. Both give me different
> > results...
> >
> > The code that gets called is (print statements have been added for
> > debugging):
> >
> >     # this is status.py
> >     import xml.parsers.expat
> >     print xml
> >     print xml.parsers
> >     print dir(xml.parsers)
> >     print repr(xml.parsers.expat.ExpatError)
> >     print xml.parsers.expat
> >
> >     if info_device_status:
> >         try:
> >             device_status =
> > utils.XMLToDictParser().parseXML(info_device_status)
> >             log.debug_block("info_device_status", info_device_status)
> >             log.debug(device_status)
> >         except xml.parsers.expat.ExpatError:
> >             log.error("Device Status XML parse error")
> >             device_status = {}
> >
> >     if info_ssp:
> >         try:
> >             ssp = utils.XMLToDictParser().parseXML(info_ssp)
> >             log.debug_block("info_spp", info_ssp)
> >             log.debug(ssp)
> >         except xml.parsers.expat.ExpatError:
> >             log.error("SSP XML parse error")
> >             ssp = {}
> >
> > When I run this code from my console program, it prints out:
> >
> > <module '_xmlplus' from
> > '/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/_xmlplus/__init__.pyc'>
> > <module 'xml.parsers' from
> > '/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/_xmlplus/parsers/__init__.pyc'>
> > ['__all__', '__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__name__',
> > '__path__', 'expat', 'pyexpat']
> > <class xml.parsers.expat.ExpatError at 0x2aaaac6c6950>
> > <module 'xml.parsers.expat' from
> > '/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/_xmlplus/parsers/expat.pyc'>
> >
> > and all is well...
> >
> > However, from the PyQt program I get:
> >
> > <module '_xmlplus' from
> > '/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/_xmlplus/__init__.pyc'>
> > <module '_xmlplus.parsers' from
> > '/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/_xmlplus/parsers/__init__.pyc'>
> > ['__all__', '__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__name__',
> > '__path__', 'sgmlop']
> > Traceback (most recent call last):
> >
> > [...snip...]
> >
> >   File
> > "/home/dwelch/tip/linux-imaging-and-printing/src/base/status.py", line
> > 980, in StatusType6
> >     print repr(xml.parsers.expat.ExpatError)
> > AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'expat'
> >
> > Somehow, the import has brought in "_xmlplus" rather than "xml", and
> > "expat" is no longer in the xml.parsers module. This is on the same
> > machine with the same user account, running each program "back to
> > back". Running each program as a different user made no difference.
> >
> > Everything is also OK if I manually enter the import and print commands
> > into a Python >>> prompt.
> > 
> > Any help much appreciated!
> > 
> > -Don