Modified PyImport_Import and PyImport_ImportModule to always use absolute imports by calling __import__ with an explicit level of 0
Added a new API function PyImport_ImportModuleNoBlock. It solves the problem with dead locks when mixing threads and imports
diff --git a/Doc/c-api/utilities.rst b/Doc/c-api/utilities.rst
index eab33a3..d9e85b0 100644
--- a/Doc/c-api/utilities.rst
+++ b/Doc/c-api/utilities.rst
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@
single: __all__ (package variable)
This is a simplified interface to :cfunc:`PyImport_ImportModuleEx` below,
- leaving the *globals* and *locals* arguments set to *NULL*. When the *name*
+ leaving the *globals* and *locals* arguments set to *NULL* and *level* set
+ to 0. When the *name*
argument contains a dot (when it specifies a submodule of a package), the
*fromlist* argument is set to the list ``['*']`` so that the return value is the
named module rather than the top-level package containing it as would otherwise
@@ -198,9 +199,28 @@
.. versionchanged:: 2.4
failing imports remove incomplete module objects.
+ .. versionchanged:: 2.6
+ always use absolute imports
+
.. index:: single: modules (in module sys)
+.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyImport_ImportModuleNoBlock(const char *name)
+
+ .. index::
+ single: `cfunc:PyImport_ImportModule`
+
+ This version of `cfunc:PyImport_ImportModule` does not block. It's intended
+ to be used in C function which import other modules to execute a function.
+ The import may block if another thread holds the import lock. The function
+ `cfunc:PyImport_ImportModuleNoBlock` doesn't block. It first tries to fetch
+ the module from sys.modules and falls back to `cfunc:PyImport_ImportModule`
+ unless the the lock is hold. In the latter case the function raises an
+ ImportError.
+
+ .. versionadded:: 2.6
+
+
.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyImport_ImportModuleEx(char *name, PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals, PyObject *fromlist)
.. index:: builtin: __import__
@@ -218,6 +238,24 @@
.. versionchanged:: 2.4
failing imports remove incomplete module objects.
+ .. versionchanged:: 2.6
+ The function is an alias for `cfunc:PyImport_ImportModuleLevel` with
+ -1 as level, meaning relative import.
+
+
+.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyImport_ImportModuleLevel(char *name, PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals, PyObject *fromlist, int level)
+
+ Import a module. This is best described by referring to the built-in Python
+ function :func:`__import__`, as the standard :func:`__import__` function calls
+ this function directly.
+
+ The return value is a new reference to the imported module or top-level package,
+ or *NULL* with an exception set on failure. Like for :func:`__import__`,
+ the return value when a submodule of a package was requested is normally the
+ top-level package, unless a non-empty *fromlist* was given.
+
+ ..versionadded:: 2.5
+
.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyImport_Import(PyObject *name)
@@ -230,6 +268,9 @@
current globals. This means that the import is done using whatever import hooks
are installed in the current environment, e.g. by :mod:`rexec` or :mod:`ihooks`.
+ .. versionchanged:: 2.6
+ always use absolute imports
+
.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyImport_ReloadModule(PyObject *m)