[Python-Dev] __all__ for pickle

[Tim Peters]

[Jeremy Hylton]
> ...
> Has __all__ been described by a PEP?

No.  IIRC, it popped up when Guido approved of a bulletproof __exports__
patch, and subsequent complaints revealed that was controversial.  Then
__all__ somehow made it in without opposition, in analogy with the special
__all__ attribute of __init__.py files (which doesn't appear to have made it
into the Lang or Lib refs, but is documented in Guido's package essay on
python.org, and in the Tutorial(?!)).

> ...
> If not, we should probably write a short PEP.  It would probably
> be a page of text, but it would help clarify that confusion that
> persists about what __all__ is for and what its consequences are.

I agree, but if someone can make time for that I'd much rather see Guido's
package essay folded into the Lang Ref first.  Packages have been part of
the language since 1.5 ...