do export statement in Python script

[Simon Strobl]

Hello,

a program of mine, which is supposed to be used in a project, uses
nltk. I want the other users to be able to use my program without
having to fiddle around with their environment. Therefore, I tried
this code:

#!/usr/bin/
python

import os

os.system("export NLTK_DATA=/opt/nltk/data/")

import nltk

This doesn't work, although running "export NLTK_DATA=/opt/nltk/data/"
on the command line before running the program works. Why?

Simon

 

[Diez B. Roggisch]

Hello,

a program of mine, which is supposed to be used in a project, uses
nltk. I want the other users to be able to use my program without
having to fiddle around with their environment. Therefore, I tried
this code:

#!/usr/bin/
python

import os

os.system("export NLTK_DATA=/opt/nltk/data/")

import nltk

This doesn't work, although running "export NLTK_DATA=/opt/nltk/data/"
on the command line before running the program works. Why?

because export is a shell-command that affects only the current shell, not
the parent process environment. And os.system spawns a child-process.

Instead, use

os.environ["NLTK_DATA"] = "/opt/nltk/data"

Diez

 

[James Mills]

#!/usr/bin/
python

import os

os.system("export NLTK_DATA=/opt/nltk/data/")

Try:

os.environ["NLTK_DATA"] = "/opt/nltk/data/"

if that doesn't work, consider wrapping up NLTK
in a bash script that contains the shell statement:
export var=...

cheers
James

 

[Simon Strobl]

#!/usr/bin/
python

import os

os.system("export NLTK_DATA=/opt/nltk/data/")

Try:

os.environ["NLTK_DATA"] = "/opt/nltk/data/"

if that doesn't work, consider wrapping up NLTK
in a bash script that contains the shell statement:
export var=...

cheers
James

Thanks for the answers. "os.environ["NLTK_DATA"] = "/opt/nltk/data/"
works.

Simon