The docstring of methods put() and get() in Queue.py states

get(): If 'timeout' is a positive number, it blocks at most 'timeout' seconds and raises the Full exception if no free slot was available within that time.

put(): If 'timeout' is a positive number, it blocks at most 'timeout' seconds and raises the Empty exception if no item was available within that time.

Additionally the ValueError both methods raise is

 raise ValueError("'timeout' must be a positive number")

However the logic checks if 'timeout' is non-negative.

 elif timeout < 0:
     raise ValueError("'timeout' must be a positive number")

The logic should change as

 elif timeout <= 0:
     raise ValueError("'timeout' must be a positive number")

This is more of a documentation issue than a code issue.  To be mathematically precise, the text and error message should read "a non-negative value".  Alternatively the text and error could be changed to report that timeout may not be negative, which would probably be clearer.  (Note that timeout is a float value, and thus the proposed code change would only break code, it would not change the functionality in any significant way.)

David,

How about like below?

  elif timeout < sys.float_info.epsilon:
     raise ValueError("'timeout' must be a positive number")

The docstring has been there for quite a while and IMHO it just doesn't make sense passing 0.0 as a timeout value.

> IMHO it just doesn't make sense passing 0.0 as a timeout value.

I have written lots of code that looks like

    timeout = max(deadline - time.time(), 0)
    some_function(..., timeout=timeout)

This makes perfect sense.  Working code should not be broken -- it is the docsting that should be changed.

I can't think of *any* function taking a timeout which rejects a zero timeout.  See select(), poll(), Condition.wait(), Lock.acquire(), Thread.join().  In each case a zero timeout causes a non-blocking call.

Also, note that the implementation does not contradict the docstring or documentation: they say nothing about what happens it timeout is zero (or negative).

Exactly.  0 means "Don't wait, just raise an error immediately if the queue is empty/full".

New changeset 737b53ec5d1a by Terry Jan Reedy in branch '2.7':
Issue #18676: Change 'positive' to 'non-negative' in queue.py put and get
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/737b53ec5d1a

New changeset 2122d56d6bc5 by Terry Jan Reedy in branch '3.3':
Issue #18676: Change 'positive' to 'non-negative' in queue.py put and get
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/2122d56d6bc5

New changeset d9a9fe5e700d by Terry Jan Reedy in branch 'default':
Issue #18676: Merge from 3.3
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/d9a9fe5e700d

Zhongyue, we merge 3.x patches forward (currently 3.3 to 3.4) so only one patch is usually needed unless the differences are non-trivial. It is easier if different version patches are tagged with the version in the filename.('-27', for instance.

If you think you will ever contribute another patch, especially one less trivial than this one, please go to
http://www.python.org/psf/contrib/ and
http://www.python.org/psf/contrib/contrib-form/
Note that the agreement can now be submitted electronically.