On Feb 1, 2016, at 19:44, Terry Reedy <tjre...@udel.edu> wrote: > >> On 2/1/2016 3:39 PM, Andrew Barnert via Python-Dev wrote: >> >> There are already multiple duplicate questions every month on >> StackOverflow from people asking "how do I find the source to stdlib >> module X". The canonical answer starts off by explaining how to >> import the module and use its __file__, which everyone is able to >> handle. > > Perhaps even easier: start IDLE, hit Alt-M, type in module name as one would > import it, click OK. If Python source is available, IDLE will open in an > editor window. with the path on the title bar. > >> If we have to instead explain how to work out the .py name >> from the qualified module name, how to work out the stdlib path from >> sys.path, and then how to find the source from those two things, with >> the caveat that it may not be installed at all on some platforms, and >> how to make sure what they're asking about really is a stdlib module, >> and how to make sure they aren't shadowing it with a module elsewhere >> on sys.path, that's a lot more complicated. > > The windows has the path on the title bar, so one can tell what was loaded.
The point of this thread is the suggestion that the stdlib modules be frozen or stored in a zipfile, unless a user modifies things in some way to make the source accessible. So, if a user hasn't done that (which no novice will know how to do), there won't be a path to show in the title bar, so IDLE won't be any more help than the command line. (I suppose IDLE could grow a new feature to look up "associated source files" for a zipped stdlib or something, but that seems like a pretty big new feature.) > IDLE currently uses imp.find_module (this could be updated), with a backup of > __import__(...).__file__, so it will load non-stdlib files that can be > imported. > > > Finally, on Linux and Mac, the stdlib will usually be somewhere > > that's not user-writable > > On Windows, this depends on the install location. Perhaps there should be an > option for edit-save or view only to avoid accidental changes. The problem is that, if the standard way for users to see stdlib sources is to copy them from somewhere else (like $install/src/Lib) into a stdlib directory (like $install/Lib), then that stdlib directory has to be writable--and on Mac and Linux, it's not. _______________________________________________ Python-Dev mailing list Python-Dev@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev Unsubscribe: https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com
