Toplevel "test()" functions in standard library

[Rob Hooft]

In the standard library there is about 20 modules with the construction:

------------------------------------------
[module definitions]

def test():
    [testing code or general main program]

if __name__=="__main__":
    test()
------------------------------------------

Wouldn't it be better to move the test() definition inside the if
statement in these cases, to prevent name space pollution? Note that
the routines are not called "_test()", so they will be imported by a
"from ... import *" (There are other modules with a _test() definition
as well).

Even worse: the test() routine might have severe side effects:
e.g. base64.test() will block waiting for data from stdin...

Going one step further: Should all of these "test()" and "_test()"
routines be in the code library at all, even now that we have a
complete test engine?

I will submit an example to the SourceForge patch manager.

Rob
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