Cannot change variable defined in "__init__.py" after importing

[crayor]

BPO	2930
Nosy	@birkenfeld

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2008-05-20.15:47:21.925>
created_at = <Date 2008-05-20.15:16:37.325>
labels = ['interpreter-core', 'type-feature', 'invalid']
title = 'Cannot change variable defined in "__init__.py" after importing'
updated_at = <Date 2008-05-21.07:35:22.815>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/crayor'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2008-05-21.07:35:22.815>
actor = 'georg.brandl'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2008-05-20.15:47:21.925>
closer = 'georg.brandl'
components = ['Interpreter Core']
creation = <Date 2008-05-20.15:16:37.325>
creator = 'crayor'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 2930
keywords = []
message_count = 4.0
messages = ['67128', '67133', '67148', '67149']
nosy_count = 2.0
nosy_names = ['georg.brandl', 'crayor']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'not a bug'
stage = None
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue2930'
versions = ['Python 2.3']

[crayor]

How can I change a variable that I defined in "__init__.py" of a
package called "common" from inside the .py file that imported the
package? I think there is no way to do this, in contrast to when the
variable is defined any other module of the same package but not in the
specific "__init__.py" module.

Example:
If there is a variable named let's say "fileList" in the
module "var.py" of the package "common" then I could modify the
variable "fileList" from within the importing file like this:

from common.var import *
var.fileList = [ "bla", "blub" ]

So that the change of the value of "fileList" is seen when reading it
inside a function of "var.py" after this modification.

But when the variable is defined inside "__init_.py" then the importing
script cannot access it by writing:

from common import *
fileList = [ "bla", "blub" ]

And it cannot access it by writing:

from common import *
common.fileList = [ "bla", "blub" ]

Why are variables of "__init__.py" module non-modifyable this way and
all others of submodules of the same package are modifyable? Maybe
there is this conceptional problem of the python language here or did I
miss something?

[birkenfeld]

Use

import common
common.fileList = ...

Please ask further question on python-list (comp.lang.python) -- this is
not a bug.

[crayor]

Oh yes, I am sorry, I forgot to tell you that I *cannot* change the
import statement as it is part of a framwork by a third-party which I
cannot influence. This is a prerequisite of my task.

Of course you are right that I am not strictly speaking about a bug but
rather about a feature request if no appropriate solution exists.

One solution in my situation could be that I could re-import the
package again using a plain import <package> statement (not a from-
import one as the framework does). Is this the recommended solution or
shouldn't there be a way to modify the variable even if it is imported
by a from-import statement?

Maybe you can give me a reason for your opinion?

[birkenfeld]

As I said, please consult the newsgroup/mailing list for these
questions, it's much better suited for them.