[IPython-user] Crash

[Robin Siebler]

There might be one, but I don't have it installed:

>>> import curses
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in ?
  File "C:\Python22\lib\curses\__init__.py", line 15, in ?
    from _curses import *
ImportError: No module named _curses

Although given the name of the module I was trying to import, I would have preferred to see

ImportError: No @$$%*!@! module found motherf#$@er!

-----Original Message-----
From: Fernando Perez [mailto:fperez at colorado.edu]
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 2:45 PM
To: Robin Siebler; ipython-user at scipy.net
Subject: Re: [IPython-user] Crash


Ah!  I see now, the problem is with the curses module.  I was just looking at 
my Windows install, and I can't find a curses module there.  Do you happen to 
have a third-party curses module available under Windows?  If so, could you do 
the following for me in a normal python shell?


[python2.2]> python
Python 2.2.1 (#1, Aug 30 2002, 12:15:30)
[GCC 3.2 20020822 (Red Hat Linux Rawhide 3.2-4)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

 >>> import curses
 >>> print curses.__file__
/usr/lib/python2.2/curses/__init__.pyc


I'd like to know where your curses is coming from.  What is crashing ipython 
is that a module named curses _does_ get imported, but it exposes a different 
interface from the one in the stdlib.  Namely, it lacks the initscr() 
function, and when ipython tries to call that all hell breaks loose.

I have code in ipython to work around curses _not_ being found, but if I find 
a curses module which doesn't expose what I consider to be the 'valid' 
interface, I'm lost.  Here's what the python documentation says about 
curses.initscr():

initscr()
     Initialize the library. Returns a WindowObject which represents the whole 
screen.

So it seems that something in your setup is throwing a curve ball at iypthon 
:)  If indeed my diagnostic is correct and it is common for users to have a 
non-complete curses, it is easy enough for me to enable a workaround.

So let me know what your curses setup is and we'll find a solution for this.

Cheers,

f.