Better error message on recursive import

[Thomas Guettler]

Hi,

why does Python only raise ImportError if it fails caused by a recursive import?

I know what's wrong. But I guess many beginner don't know what's wrong. I don't
want much, just "RecursiveImportError" instead of "ImportError". Is this possible?

Thomas
--
Thomas Guettler, http://www.thomas-guettler.de/
E-Mail: guettli (*) thomas-guettler + de

[Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch]

On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:43:34 +0200, Thomas Guettler wrote:

why does Python only raise ImportError if it fails caused by a recursive
import?

I know what's wrong. But I guess many beginner don't know what's wrong.
I don't want much, just "RecursiveImportError" instead of "ImportError".
Is this possible?

Can you give an example of such a recursive import you want the special
exception be raised?

Ciao,
Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

[Thomas Guettler]

Hi,

Can you give an example of such a recursive import you want the special
exception be raised?

===cat one.py
from two import testtwo
def testone():
print "one"

===cat two.py
import one
def testtwo():
print "two"

===python one.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "one.py", line 1, in <module>
from two import testtwo
File "/mnt/home/tguettler/tmp/rec/two.py", line 1, in <module>
import one
File "/mnt/home/tguettler/tmp/rec/one.py", line 1, in <module>
from two import testtwo
ImportError: cannot import name testtwo
--
Thomas Guettler, http://www.thomas-guettler.de/
E-Mail: guettli (*) thomas-guettler + de

[Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch]

On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:47:42 +0200, Thomas Guettler wrote:

>Can you give an example of such a recursive import you want the special
exception be raised?

===cat one.py
from two import testtwo
def testone():
print "one"

===cat two.py
import one
def testtwo():
print "two"

===python one.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "one.py", line 1, in <module>
from two import testtwo
File "/mnt/home/tguettler/tmp/rec/two.py", line 1, in <module>
import one
File "/mnt/home/tguettler/tmp/rec/one.py", line 1, in <module>
from two import testtwo
ImportError: cannot import name testtwo

This is an awkward situation anyway because here are *three* modules
involved. You start `one.py` which will be imported as `__main__`.
`__main__` imports `two` and `two` imports a *new* module `one`! Which
tries to import `testtwo` from `two` which doesn't exist at that time.
Even if you rearrange the code to load properly `one.py` is loaded and
executed *twice* and you end up with two distinct modules generated from
that file.

Ciao,
Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

[Wojtek Walczak]

On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:43:34 +0200, Thomas Guettler wrote:

Hello,

why does Python only raise ImportError if it fails caused by a recursive import?

I know what's wrong. But I guess many beginner don't know what's wrong.

I don't think that you're right here. I can't remember any beginner
asking such a question on p.c.py. I think they would come and ask
if it really was problematic.

And, anyway, I don't know how to answer your question :-)

--
Regards,
Wojtek Walczak,
http://tosh.pl/gminick/