surprising behaviour of os.environ.clear

[Joe P. Cool]

If I call os.environ.clear in a python program child processes still
see the deleted entries. But when I iterate over the keys like so

names = os.environ.keys
for k in names:
del os.environ[k]

then the entries are also deleted for the child processes. Where is
the difference? Is this a bug?
(Observed in Python 2.5.2)

 

[Benjamin]

If I call os.environ.clear in a python program child processes still
see the deleted entries. But when I iterate over the keys like so

names =  os.environ.keys
for k in names:
    del  os.environ[k]

then the entries are also deleted for the child processes. Where is
the difference? Is this a bug?
(Observed in Python 2.5.2)

This is because of how os.environ is implement with a UserDict
subclass. You should report this at bugs.python.org.

 

[Tim Roberts]

If I call os.environ.clear in a python program child processes still
see the deleted entries. But when I iterate over the keys like so

names =  os.environ.keys
for k in names:
    del  os.environ[k]

then the entries are also deleted for the child processes. Where is
the difference? Is this a bug?
(Observed in Python 2.5.2)

This is because of how os.environ is implement with a UserDict
subclass.

Why? I mean, I can see that it happens, but I don't understand why being a
UserDict causes this.

 

[s0suk3]

If I call os.environ.clear in a python program child processes still
see the deleted entries. But when I iterate over the keys like so

names = os.environ.keys
for k in names:
del os.environ[k]

then the entries are also deleted for the child processes. Where is
the difference? Is this a bug?
(Observed in Python 2.5.2)

For one thing, the expression 'os.environ.keys' will yield a method
object (not a list, as you're probably expecting), but iterating over
a method as you did should produce an exception. If you want to get
the list of environment vars, you have to call the method, like
'os.environ.keys()'.

Also, aren't changes to environment vars supposed to be visible to
child processes anyway? Which one are you suggesting that behaves the
wrong way, 'os.environ.clear()' or 'del os.environ[key]'?

 

[Joe P. Cool]

For one thing, the expression 'os.environ.keys' will yield a method
object (not a list, as you're probably expecting), but iterating over
a method as you did should produce an exception. If you want to get
the list of environment vars, you have to call the method, like
'os.environ.keys()'.

You are right but it's just a typo in this message, sorry. My real
code is correct.

Also, aren't changes to environment vars supposed to be visible to
child processes anyway?

Yes. Both the clear method and the del method change os.environ.
os.environ IS the environment in a python program.

Which one are you suggesting that behaves the
wrong way, 'os.environ.clear()' or 'del os.environ[key]'?

The former. If a key is not in os.environ, it shouldn't exist for
child
processes.

 

[Joe P. Cool]

On Jun 27, 4:05 pm, "Joe P. Cool" <[email protected]> wrote:

This is because of how os.environ is implement with a UserDict
subclass. You should report this at bugs.python.org.

issue 3227: os.environ.clear has no effect on child processes

 

[Joe P. Cool]

issue 3227: os.environ.clear has no effect on child processes.

According to Benjamin Peterson this has been fixed in the upcoming
Python 2.6.

 

[Benjamin]

Why?  I mean, I can see that it happens, but I don't understand why being a
UserDict causes this.

The contents of a UserDict is stored in UserDict.data. When
UserDict.clear is called, that contents is simply cleared. environ
needs to override this is to unset env variable and then update the
actual dict.