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classification
Title: IDLE: warn if save-as name matches stdlib name
Type: enhancement Stage: patch review
Components: IDLE Versions: Python 3.7, Python 3.6
process
Status: open Resolution:
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: terry.reedy Nosy List: THRlWiTi, ZackerySpytz, lac, markroseman, terry.reedy, veky
Priority: normal Keywords: patch

Created on 2015-10-31 05:41 by terry.reedy, last changed 2022-04-11 14:58 by admin.

Pull Requests
URL Status Linked Edit
PR 17051 open ZackerySpytz, 2019-11-05 00:38
Messages (8)
msg253775 - (view) Author: Terry J. Reedy (terry.reedy) * (Python committer) Date: 2015-10-31 05:41
When users 'saveas', warn if name matches that of a stdlib modules. Note that shadowing is opposite for lib and binary (builtin) modules, so message needs to be different.  I am not worrying about 3rd party modules on the search path (ie, site-packages), which would be shadowed like lib modules. Rough outline of code to add to IOBinding.

from os,path import dirname
import sys

# this part on initiallzation or first saveas call
def libmodules():
    with open(dirname(dirname(__file__))) as lib:
        for f in lib:
            if <directory containing __init__.py#> or f.endswith(.py):
                yield f
# test.test__all__ has this code

islibmodule = frozenset(libmodules()).__contains__
isbinmodule = frozenset(sys.builtin_module_names).__contains__

# this part after saveas dialog returns
if islibmodule(name):
    go = warn("This name matches a stdlib name in /Lib. If you run python in this directory, you will not be able to import the stdlib module.  Continue?".)
elif isbinmodule(name):
    go = warn("This name matches a builtin stdlib name.  You will not be able to import this file.  Continue?".)
else:
    go = True
if go:
    <save as requested>
else:
   (get name again>  # or put in while not go loop
msg253777 - (view) Author: Terry J. Reedy (terry.reedy) * (Python committer) Date: 2015-10-31 05:56
The lib messages should say "Neither you nor python will be able to import the stdlib module".  Example of python-imported lib names that a beginner might write are abc, io, os, nt, and stat.
msg253829 - (view) Author: Laura Creighton (lac) Date: 2015-11-01 07:26
I'm not sure about "Neither you nor Python will be able to import 
the stdlib."  Depending on what the file is, you may be able to import
it later.  I'd prefer:

"If you run Python in this directory, your version of <stdlibname>
will be used instead of the one in the standard library.  This may cause Idle to behave strangely, or possibly not run at all."
msg253830 - (view) Author: Laura Creighton (lac) Date: 2015-11-01 07:36
Do we need a full path name here as well?  Probably not.
msg333944 - (view) Author: Terry J. Reedy (terry.reedy) * (Python committer) Date: 2019-01-18 06:35
Also check if the name is not an identifier and therefore could not be imported.  Example:

>>> exec('import abc--bb')
    import abc--bb
              ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
msg333952 - (view) Author: Vedran Čačić (veky) * Date: 2019-01-18 08:26
Many beginners don't write files in order to import them. For them, these name-checking is simply adding noise. If you want to do something in this area, I think a much more useful (and difficult) course of action would be to check on the opposite end. If an AttributeError "module blah has no attribute foo" is raised, then check whether a file in the current directory (or simply the current file) is named blah, and there is also a stdlib blah that has fool.
msg334279 - (view) Author: Terry J. Reedy (terry.reedy) * (Python committer) Date: 2019-01-24 04:39
Beginners import stdlib files such as random.  And they save scripts with such name, and accidentally import the script when not desired.

Beginners should learn how to test a script by running a test file provided by an instructor or written themselves.  In either case, they *will* have to import the script.
msg355988 - (view) Author: Zackery Spytz (ZackerySpytz) * (Python triager) Date: 2019-11-05 00:40
I have created a pull request for this issue.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:58:23adminsetgithub: 69708
2019-11-05 00:40:06ZackerySpytzsetnosy: + ZackerySpytz
messages: + msg355988
2019-11-05 00:38:14ZackerySpytzsetkeywords: + patch
stage: needs patch -> patch review
pull_requests: + pull_request16565
2019-01-24 04:39:08terry.reedysetmessages: + msg334279
2019-01-18 08:26:45vekysetnosy: + veky
messages: + msg333952
2019-01-18 06:35:38terry.reedysetmessages: + msg333944
2017-06-19 19:07:50terry.reedysetassignee: terry.reedy
components: + IDLE
versions: + Python 3.7, - Python 2.7, Python 3.4, Python 3.5
2015-11-28 01:15:20THRlWiTisetnosy: + THRlWiTi
2015-11-01 07:36:57lacsetmessages: + msg253830
2015-11-01 07:26:49lacsetmessages: + msg253829
2015-10-31 05:56:24terry.reedysetmessages: + msg253777
2015-10-31 05:41:42terry.reedycreate