[python] What is __future__ in Python used for and how/when to use it, and how it works

__future__ frequently appears in Python modules. I do not understand what __future__ is for and how/when to use it even after reading the Python's __future__ doc.

Can anyone explain with examples?

A few answers regarding the basic usage of __future__ I've received seemed correct.

However, I need to understand one more thing regarding how __future__ works:

The most confusing concept for me is how a current python release includes features for future releases, and how a program using a feature from a future release can be be compiled successfully in the current version of Python.

I am guessing that the current release is packaged with potential features for the future. However, the features are available only by using __future__ because they are not the current standard. Let me know if I am right.

There are some great answers already, but none of them address a complete list of what the __future__ statement currently supports.

Put simply, the __future__ statement forces Python interpreters to use newer features of the language.

The features that it currently supports are the following:

nested_scopes

Prior to Python 2.1, the following code would raise a NameError:

def f():
    ...
    def g(value):
        ...
        return g(value-1) + 1
    ...

The from __future__ import nested_scopes directive will allow for this feature to be enabled.

generators

Introduced generator functions such as the one below to save state between successive function calls:

def fib():
    a, b = 0, 1
    while 1:
       yield b
       a, b = b, a+b

division

Classic division is used in Python 2.x versions. Meaning that some division statements return a reasonable approximation of division ("true division") and others return the floor ("floor division"). Starting in Python 3.0, true division is specified by x/y, whereas floor division is specified by x//y.

The from __future__ import division directive forces the use of Python 3.0 style division.

absolute_import

Allows for parenthesis to enclose multiple import statements. For example:

from Tkinter import (Tk, Frame, Button, Entry, Canvas, Text,
    LEFT, DISABLED, NORMAL, RIDGE, END)

Instead of:

from Tkinter import Tk, Frame, Button, Entry, Canvas, Text, \
    LEFT, DISABLED, NORMAL, RIDGE, END

Or:

from Tkinter import Tk, Frame, Button, Entry, Canvas, Text
from Tkinter import LEFT, DISABLED, NORMAL, RIDGE, END

with_statement

Adds the statement with as a keyword in Python to eliminate the need for try/finally statements. Common uses of this are when doing file I/O such as:

with open('workfile', 'r') as f:
     read_data = f.read()

print_function:

Forces the use of Python 3 parenthesis-style print() function call instead of the print MESSAGE style statement.

unicode_literals

Introduces the literal syntax for the bytes object. Meaning that statements such as bytes('Hello world', 'ascii') can be simply expressed as b'Hello world'.

generator_stop

Replaces the use of the StopIteration exception used inside generator functions with the RuntimeError exception.

One other use not mentioned above is that the __future__ statement also requires the use of Python 2.1+ interpreters since using an older version will throw a runtime exception.

References

• https://docs.python.org/2/library/future.html
• https://docs.python.org/3/library/future.html
• https://docs.python.org/2.2/whatsnew/node9.html
• https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0255/
• https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0238/
• https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0328/
• https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-3112/
• https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0479/

It can be used to use features which will appear in newer versions while having an older release of Python.

For example

>>> from __future__ import print_function

will allow you to use print as a function:

>>> print('# of entries', len(dictionary), file=sys.stderr)

Or is it like saying "Since this is python v2.7, use that different 'print' function that has also been added to python v2.7, after it was added in python 3. So my 'print' will no longer be statements (eg print "message" ) but functions (eg, print("message", options). That way when my code is run in python 3, 'print' will not break."

In

from __future__ import print_function

print_function is the module containing the new implementation of 'print' as per how it is behaving in python v3.

This has more explanation: http://python3porting.com/noconv.html

__future__ is a pseudo-module which programmers can use to enable new language features which are not compatible with the current interpreter. For example, the expression 11/4 currently evaluates to 2. If the module in which it is executed had enabled true division by executing:

from __future__ import division

the expression 11/4 would evaluate to 2.75. By importing the __future__ module and evaluating its variables, you can see when a new feature was first added to the language and when it will become the default:

  >>> import __future__
  >>> __future__.division
  _Feature((2, 2, 0, 'alpha', 2), (3, 0, 0, 'alpha', 0), 8192)

After Python 3.0 onward, print is no longer just a statement, its a function instead. and is included in PEP 3105.

Also I think the Python 3.0 package has still these special functionality. Lets see its usability through a traditional "Pyramid program" in Python:

from __future__ import print_function

class Star(object):
    def __init__(self,count):
        self.count = count

    def start(self):
        for i in range(1,self.count):
            for j in range (i): 
                print('*', end='') # PEP 3105: print As a Function 
            print()

a = Star(5)
a.start()

Output:
*
**
***
****

If we use normal print function, we won't be able to achieve the same output, since print() comes with a extra newline. So every time the inner for loop execute, it will print * onto the next line.

One of the uses which I found to be very useful is the print_function from __future__ module.

In Python 2.7, I wanted chars from different print statements to be printed on same line without spaces.

It can be done using a comma(",") at the end, but it also appends an extra space. The above statement when used as :

from __future__ import print_function
...
print (v_num,end="")
...

This will print the value of v_num from each iteration in a single line without spaces.

When you do

from __future__ import whatever

You're not actually using an import statement, but a future statement. You're reading the wrong docs, as you're not actually importing that module.

Future statements are special -- they change how your Python module is parsed, which is why they must be at the top of the file. They give new -- or different -- meaning to words or symbols in your file. From the docs:

A future statement is a directive to the compiler that a particular module should be compiled using syntax or semantics that will be available in a specified future release of Python. The future statement is intended to ease migration to future versions of Python that introduce incompatible changes to the language. It allows use of the new features on a per-module basis before the release in which the feature becomes standard.

If you actually want to import the __future__ module, just do

import __future__

and then access it as usual.