Catching control-C

[Miles Kaufmann]

On Jul 9, 2009, at 9:20 AM, Lie Ryan wrote:

> Michael Mossey wrote:
>> I want to understand better what the "secret" is to responding to a
>> ctrl-C in any shape or form.
>
> Are you asking: "when would the python interpreter process
> KeyboardInterrupt?"
> ...
> In single threaded python program, the currently running thread is
> always the main thread (which can handle KeyboardInterrupt). I believe
> SIGINT is checked at every ticks. But SIGINT cannot interrupt atomic
> operations (i.e. it cannot interrupt long operations that takes a  
> single
> tick).

Some otherwise atomic single-bytecode operations (like large integer  
arithmetic) do manual checks for whether signals were raised (though  
that won't help at all if the operation isn't on the main thread).

> I believe a tick in python is equivalent to a single bytecode, but
> please correct me if I'm wrong.

Not all opcodes qualify as a tick.  In general, those opcodes that  
cause control to remain in the eval loop (and not make calls to other  
Python or C functions) don't qualify as ticks (but there are  
exceptions, e.g. so that while True: pass is interruptible).  In  
Python/ceval.c: PyEval_EvalFrameEx(), those opcodes that don't end in  
goto fast_next_opcode are ticks.

Please correct me if _I'm_ wrong! :)
-Miles