Odd ValueError using float

[emile]

On 03/14/2015 11:24 AM, Peter Otten wrote:
> emile wrote:
>
>> On 03/14/2015 09:08 AM, Peter Otten wrote:
<snip>
>>> Why are you checking
>>>
>>> int(decval)
>>
>>
>> because it sure smells like int should work:
>>
>> (Pdb) "3"<decval<"5"
>> True
>
> That's a normal string comparison when decval is a string. This and the
> ValueError is expected Python behaviour:


yes -- but i'd previously shown decval to have a length of 1, and how 
many things then fit that equation?

<snip>

>>> to get a meaningful traceback and post that.
>>
>> I don't get a traceback -- it spews:
>>
>> Fatal Python error: deletion of interned string failed
>>
>> This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual
>> way.
>> Please contact the application's support team for more information.
>>
>> then crashes and I get a Microsoft pop-up that says python.exe has
>> encountered a problem and needs to close.
>
> That does look bad. Most likely an extension written in C corrupts the
> interpreter or it's even a bug in the interpreter itself.

I'm tight on time the rest of the day, but I think I'll next zap all the 
pyc versions, install a fresh 2.6.x python, and let it recompile.  About 
the only theory I have at the moment to explain the sudden failure after 
years of non-failure is disk based bit-rot.

Emile