python / python/cpython

IDLE fails to start or raises when an editor window's file does not exist

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3.13 3.14 3.15 stdlib topic-IDLE type-bug type-crash
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

IDLE raises an uncaught traceback when a file that is open in the editor is deleted or renamed by another program and the IDLE window is then refocused.

EditorWindow.focus_in_event runs on every <FocusIn> event and calls EditorWindow.last_mtime, which calls os.path.getmtime(self.io.filename) with no error handling. When the open file has been removed or renamed, getmtime raises FileNotFoundError, which escapes the Tk event handler and breaks the modified-on-disk reload check.

Reproduction

Open a file in the IDLE editor, delete or rename it in another program, then click back into the IDLE window. A traceback like this reaches the console and the reload check stops working:

FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '.../somefile.py'

The same call reproduced without a GUI:

import os, tempfile, types
from idlelib.editor import EditorWindow

with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
    path = os.path.join(d, 'gone.py')
    open(path, 'w').close()
    mtime = os.path.getmtime(path)
    os.remove(path)
    stub = types.SimpleNamespace(io=types.SimpleNamespace(filename=path), mtime=mtime)
    EditorWindow.last_mtime(stub)   # raises FileNotFoundError on the main branch

Suggested fix

Guard os.path.getmtime in last_mtime with try/except OSError and return the last known mtime, so focus_in_event sees no change and does not prompt to reload a file that is gone.

CPython versions tested on:

3.16, CPython main branch

Operating systems tested on:

macOS

Linked PRs
  • gh-153481

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 in idlelib.editor at EditorWindow.last_mtime and its caller, focus_in_event. Reproduce the missing-file case from the issue, then verify that refocusing IDLE no longer raises and that the reload check does not prompt for a deleted file.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
desktop
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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