14 
#!/usr/bin/python  
str = "this"  
if(1):  
  print "Hi"  
else:  
  print str.any_random_function()

This doesn't fail when I run the program. I tried py_compile but that didn't indicate the error in the else loop either. Now how can I compile the program and detect errors reliably in python code?

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3
  • 4
    I don't think it's possible to do that in python. Methods can be dinamically added, the exception captured or the getattr method overloaded. In any of those cases, your error will totally depend or runtime information. Commented Jan 22, 2010 at 13:54
  • Actually, this particular example should be caught by pylint. Commented Jan 22, 2010 at 14:05
  • 1
    It doesn't fail because it's not wrong. Your module could be imported in a context where any_random_function is properly defined for the built-in string class. Commented Jan 22, 2010 at 14:09

3 Answers 3

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9

I think your best bet would be pylint.

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4

Python is a dynamic language, so you can't simply check for compiling errors like in static languages (C/C++/Java). If you assign str.any_random_function, the above code would be correct (okay that's a bad example...).

I'd suggest you to use PyDev for Eclipse which automatically finds many common problems in your code, like missing functions/modules etc. It also supports pylint (optional).

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2 Comments

It's easy for a random keystore to add a character to a function call. So is it suggested to run pylint through the entire codebase or have unit tests and 100% code coverage to catch that wrong function call? Thanks for replies.
It takes some time to get used to pylint, and it may produce lots of (useless) messages if not configured correctly. Anyway, as a good software engineer you should always target 100% code coverage using unit tests. The advantage is that they can be run (semi-)automatically - pylint messages must be interpreted by humans.
0

result_str="";
for row in range(0,7):
for column in range(0,7):
if (column == 1 or column == 5 or (row == 2 and (column == 2 or column == 4)) or (row == 3 and column == 3)):
result_str=result_str+"* "
else:
result_str=result_str+" "
result_str=result_str+"\n"
print(result_str);

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4 Comments

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