python / python/cpython

missing global names inside a class body (calling `exec` with a `ChainMap`)

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interpreter-core triaged type-feature
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

I need to implement layered context running python code, so I choose ChainMap. But Python needs every globals passed to exec to be a dict, so I mixins it into ChainMap.

This patch runs well as far, but in a class it can't get the value from the outside.

I think this may because in the class context CPython uses some function like PyDict_Get instead of __getitem__, so the values didn't get copied into the class's globals context.

This bug caused this code fails:

from collections import ChainMap

class ChainMap(ChainMap, dict):  # globals must be a real dict
    pass

source = """
a = 1

class A:
    print(a)
"""

exec(source, ChainMap())  # this line raises NameError
Other reproduction approaches

This is reproduceable in pyodide (a wasm port of CPython 3.12.1), so you can run the code above by just clicking one of the following link:

  • Stackblitz - you can edit code and the result will sync instantly
  • Python Online - this is faster but just has a console instead of an IDE

CPython versions tested on:

3.12

Operating systems tested on:

Linux, Windows

Linked PRs
  • gh-121389

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the failure at exec(source, ChainMap()) with the class A example on CPython 3.12, then inspect the class-body name lookup path. Compare behavior with a real dict and review linked PR gh-121389; done means the outer name is available inside the class body without regressing existing exec behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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