I tried executed the following code in the python IDLE
from __future__ import braces
And I got the following error:
The __future__
module is normally used to provide features from future versions of Python.
This is an easter egg that summarizes its developers' feelings on this issue.
There are several more:
import this
will display the zen of Python.
import __hello__
will display Hello World...
.
In Python 2.7 and 3.0, import antigravity
will open the browser to a comic!
You have found an easter egg in Python. It is a joke.
It means that delimiting blocks by braces instead of indentation will never be implemented.
Normally, imports from the special __future__ module enable features that are backwards-incompatible, such as the print()
function, or true division.
So the line from __future__ import braces
is taken to mean you want to enable the 'create blocks with braces' feature, and the exception tells you your chances of that ever happening are nil.
You can add that to the long list of in-jokes included in Python, just like import __hello__
, import this
and import antigravity
. The Python developers have a well-developed sense of humour!