Trace Python imports

Question

My Python library just changed it\'s main module name from foo.bar to foobar. For backward compat, foo.bar still exists, but importing

Answer 1

Start the python interpreter with -v:

$ python -v -m /usr/lib/python2.6/timeit.py
# installing zipimport hook
import zipimport # builtin
# installed zipimport hook
# /usr/lib/python2.6/site.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/site.py
import site # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/site.pyc
# /usr/lib/python2.6/os.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/os.py
import os # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/os.pyc
import errno # builtin
import posix # builtin
# /usr/lib/python2.6/posixpath.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/posixpath.py
import posixpath # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/posixpath.pyc
# /usr/lib/python2.6/stat.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/stat.py
import stat # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/stat.pyc
# /usr/lib/python2.6/genericpath.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/genericpath.py
import genericpath # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/genericpath.pyc
# /usr/lib/python2.6/warnings.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/warnings.py
import warnings # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/warnings.pyc
# /usr/lib/python2.6/linecache.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/linecache.py
import linecache # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/linecache.pyc
# /usr/lib/python2.6/types.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/types.py
import types # precompiled from /usr/lib/python2.6/types.pyc
# /usr/lib/python2.6/UserDict.pyc matches /usr/lib/python2.6/UserDict.py
...

Then just grep for your old module.

Answer 2

edit foo.bar module, add following code:

import pdb
pdb.set_trace()

when foo.bar be imported, program will stop at pdb.set_trace() in pdb mode, where you can debug your code. For example, you can use "w" command to print the full calling stack.