How does python build its AST

[MonkeeSage]

On Dec 8, 3:32 am, Carl Banks <pavlovevide... at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Dec 7, 9:23 am, MonkeeSage <MonkeeS... at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > A quick question about how python parses a file into compiled
> > bytecode. Does it parse the whole file into AST first and then compile
> > the AST, or does it build and compile the AST on the fly as it reads
> > expressions? (If the former case, why can't functions be called before
> > their definitions?)
>
> Python creates certain objects at compile time but doesn't bind them
> to names in the modulespace until run time.
>
> Python could--and many other languages do--automatically bind these
> objects to names upon import.  Python doesn't do it because it sees a
> module as "code to be executed" rather than a "list of global object
> definitions".
>
> Something like this would be awkward if Python bound the names at
> import time:
>
> if X:
>     def a(): do_this()
> else:
>     def a(): do_that()
>
> Which one gets bound to a?
>
> To do something similar in C would require preprocessor macros (ick).
>
> Carl Banks

Gotcha. Thanks again everyone for your answers.

Regards,
Jordan