[Python-ideas] from __pip__ import

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 05:06:50PM -0700, Ethan Furman wrote:
> On 09/19/2016 04:38 PM, אלעזר wrote:
> 
> >I was talking specifically about advanced courses, in which an assignment
> > is "implement a side-channel attack using data" and you can use whatever
> > library you like.
> 
> Am I misunderstanding, or did you just say you want this new functionality 
> in order to implement attacks on people's computers?

I'm pretty sure you misinterpreted Elazar.

He was talking about an advanced programming course where the course 
allows the students to use any library they like. The "side-channel 
attack" part just happened to be an example (I think a particularly 
poorly thought out example, but nevermind).

The idea is that the student writes:

from __pip__ import somepackage

in their script, and the examiner merely needs to run their script in 
order to have somepackage automatically installed. (I really, really, 
REALLY hope that the examiner runs their code in a sandbox.)

I'm not sure how this reconciles with Elazar's earlier use-case that 
this feature is for the benefit of *beginners*. Presumably the examiner 
of an advanced programming course should be able to cope with installing 
a package. I would expect that for such an advanced course, being able 
to deal with external dependencies should be part of the assignment:

"If your lecturer cannot work out what dependencies are needed by your 
project, because you haven't documented it or provided an installer, 
then you will fail the assignment."



-- 
Steve