[py-dev] Re: Error with py.test and scipy ...

[Ian Bicking]

holger krekel wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 07, 2005 at 17:45 -0500, Patrick K. O'Brien wrote:
> 
>>holger krekel wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, Apr 07, 2005 at 14:54 -0700, Robert Kern wrote:
>>>
>>>>Scipy uses a lazy importing scheme implemented in scipy_base.ppimport. 
>>>
>>>
>>>import magic's interfering with each other ... this had to happen 
>>>sooner or later.  And we've had Valentino having problems with 
>>>twisted's nevow already which uses crazy import hacks ... welcome
>>>in scary traceback land.  This strongly suggests to me that py.test 
>>>will have to try harder to reduce its import magic.  Luckily, i have 
>>>an alternative approach which removes the need to have a custom 
>>>import hook for the py lib.  I am checking that into the 
>>>collect-branch (which will soon get merged, didn't i mention that
>>>last week?)
>>
>>Count Schevo as yet another project that does its share of import magic.
>> We've managed to keep our magic compatible with py.test's magic and
>>nevow's magic, and I'd hate to lose that.
> 
> 
> I would be surprised if my brand-new hack breaks yours (because that
> is exactly what it is trying to avoid) but i've learned that "import" 
> makes the impossible possible and vice versa. 

There sure are a lot of people doing import hacks these days -- as I 
look around I keep encountering more of them.  I guess it takes a while 
for people to become comfortable with such magic, but people are clearly 
feeling comfortable now.  I am guessing that this could all have bad 
interactions with eggs, and who knows what else.  I can barely manage 
right now to bring together multiple packages easily with *normal* 
import semantics (stupid sys.path), and I don't know how this stuff will 
come together in the future.

I wonder if people are overloading the idea of "module" when really they 
want to create entirely new kinds of objects-built-from-Python-files 
that aren't modules at all.  Do we need a new metaphor?  Do we need one 
Magic But Really Well Spec'ed import hook that will satisfy everyone's 
needs?

-- 
Ian Bicking  /  ianb at colorstudy.com  / http://blog.ianbicking.org