eval( 'import math' )

[Peter Otten]

阎兆珣 wrote:

>    Excuse me for the same problem in Python 3.4.2-32bit
> 
>    I just discovered that <eval()> function does not necessarily take the
>    string input and transfer it to a command to execute.
> 
>    So is there a problem with my assumption?

Python discriminates between statements and expressions. The eval function 
will only accept an expression. OK:

>>> eval("1 + 1")
2
>>> eval("print(42)") # Python 3 only; in Python 2 print is a statement
42
>>> x = y = 1
>>> eval("x > y")
False

Not acceptable:

>>> eval("1+1; 2+2")
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<string>", line 1
    1+1; 2+2
       ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

>>> eval("import os")
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<string>", line 1
    import os
         ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

>>> eval("if x > y: print(42)")
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<string>", line 1
    if x > y: print(42)
     ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

To import a module dynamically either switch to exec()

>>> exec("import os")
>>> os
<module 'os' from '/usr/lib/python3.4/os.py'>

or use the import_module() function:

>>> import importlib
>>> eval("importlib.import_module('os')")
<module 'os' from '/usr/lib/python3.4/os.py'>

Of course you can use that function directly

>>> importlib.import_module("os")
<module 'os' from '/usr/lib/python3.4/os.py'>

and that's what you should do if your goal is to import a module rather than 
to run arbitrary Python code.