[Python-ideas] proposal: module-level __init__

[Daniel Holth]

__all__ is very useful when doing import *, which is frowned upon. As an alternative, allow modules to contain a function called __init__ that defines that module's exported symbols by way of the global statement. By importing modules that are used, but not intended to be exported, inside the __init__ function, programmers avoid cases such as the unintentional 'somemodule.sys' (referring to a module by its non-canonical name) that makes it harder to refactor larger projects.

Before:

__all__ = ['a', 'b']
import sys
def a(): pass
def b(): pass
def c(): pass

After:

def __init__():
    global a, b
    import sys
    def a(): pass
    def b(): pass
    def c(): pass

__init__()

[M.-A. Lemburg]

This is already possible and used in modules where you don't
want to clutter up the global namespace. Where's the novelty ?

--
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

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