Syntax error when importing a file which starts with a number

[andrew cooke]

The grammar indicates that the module name is an identifier, and
identifiers can't start with digits (you can't have a variable name that
starts with a '1' either).

This is probably quite fundamental (I guess the lexer will implement it)
so suspect it is impossible to change.  That means it is a bug, not a
feature (and it's quite a reasonable restriction, since it reduces
ambiguity).

See
http://docs.python.org/3.0/reference/simple_stmts.html#import
http://docs.python.org/3.0/reference/lexical_analysis.html#grammar-token-identifier

Andrew


simon.woolf at gmail.com wrote:
> Hello, all.
>
> I don't suppose anyone has any idea why it seems to be impossible to
> import any file which starts with a number?  You get a syntax error,
> whether the file exists or not.
>
> Try it yourself:
>
>>>> import foo
> ImportError: No module named foo
>
>>>> import 1foo
>   File "<stdin>", line 1
>     import 1foo
>            ^
> SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>
> Is this just me, or has anyone else run into it?  Is it a known bug?
> (If so, I can't find it on a bug tracker or in any Google searches).
>
> It's a bit annoying, as I have an enforced naming scheme.  Any way
> round it?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Simon
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