Re-add execfile() function?

[pfalcon]

Python3 killed execfile() function (see http://docs.python.org/3/whatsnew/3.0.html). However, trying bare-metal pyboard immediately shows that it would be nice to have convenience function to easily execute arbitrary source file. There's pyb.main() with some meaning, but having something "standard" and well-known would help.

[asl97]

exec(open(fn).read()) is standard as stated on that page, if you really want execfile, you could just make a function like

def execfile(f):
    exec(open(f).read())

[pfalcon]

If the original description is not clear: I (and surely many other people) want being able to execute arbitrary files immediately after freshly board booted, without entering any obscure code snippets.

[dpgeorge]

How about putting it in pyb module: pyb.execfile? You are probably going to import pyb anyway, and it keeps it cleanly separated from Python 3 builtins.

[pfalcon]

This was opened as initial probe into #508, in particular to figure out if we're brave enough to overrule and revert unwise CPython changes.

I agree that this can be implemented on Python level, but still think this would be useful to be available "by default" and in global namespace, where people would be looking for it (based on Python2 experience). This points to boot.py . @dpgeorge , would you accept addition of such function definition to it?

[dpgeorge]

would you accept addition of such function definition to it?

You mean, in boot.py so that only stmhal has it? And then, only when the user doesn't override boot.py (eg by inserting a micro SD card). That is probably a bad idea, since it uses RAM (for the function), interns strings, and slows down the boot up. Also, users get confused when it's not available because boot.py changed. I would rather it be implemented in C (either in py/ or stmhal/).

[dpgeorge]

Well, shall we add execfile in C to py/modbuiltins.c, with a macro define to enable/disable this feature?

[pfalcon]

+1 from me. I didn't come forward with this because I still use pyboard rarely, so just waited for more regular use to report first-hand experience how annoying it's not to have it ;-).

[dpgeorge]

Well, on pyboard I use either tools/pyboard.py script to run a local file (from PC), or I make the code a module and use import to load it.

[dpgeorge]

execfile now available, and enabled in stmhal port only.

[pfalcon]

Thanks!

[dpgeorge]

Do you like how compact it is? :)

[pfalcon]

Yes, looks nice. Adding to my todo documenting it (which would have #983 on ciritical path).

[dpgeorge]

I was going to open an issue titled "document builtins", but we already have too many issues :)