python / python/cpython

Avoid `exc=None; del exc` in bytecode where unnecessary

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3.13 interpreter-core performance type-feature
Dominant language
Python
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Description

See https://github.com/faster-cpython/ideas/issues/490.

To break reference cycles, the compiler has an implicit del e at the end of an exception handler. To make UnboundLocalErrors impossible during that deletion, the compiler adds e=None; del e instead.

However, the e=None part is unnecessary in many situations, namely, when we can prove that e is guaranteed to be bound (almost always!).

This can reduce the size of some bytecode objects. For example, the four <---- lines below can be deleted:

>>> def f():
...     try: pass
...     except Exception as e: pass
...
>>> dis(f)
  1           0 RESUME                   0

  2           2 LOAD_CONST               0 (None)
              4 RETURN_VALUE
              6 PUSH_EXC_INFO

  3           8 LOAD_GLOBAL              0 (Exception)
             20 CHECK_EXC_MATCH
             22 POP_JUMP_IF_FALSE       11 (to 46)
             24 STORE_FAST               0 (e)
             26 POP_EXCEPT
             28 LOAD_CONST               0 (None)  <---------
             30 STORE_FAST               0 (e)     <---------
             32 DELETE_FAST              0 (e)     
             34 LOAD_CONST               0 (None)
             36 RETURN_VALUE
             38 LOAD_CONST               0 (None)  <---------
             40 STORE_FAST               0 (e)     <---------
             42 DELETE_FAST              0 (e)
             44 RERAISE                  1
        >>   46 RERAISE                  0
        >>   48 COPY                     3
             50 POP_EXCEPT
             52 RERAISE                  1
ExceptionTable:
  6 to 24 -> 48 [1] lasti
  38 to 46 -> 48 [1] lasti
  • PR: gh-99361

Contributor guide

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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 with the linked faster-cpython/ideas issue 490 and PR gh-99361, then inspect the Python compiler path that emits exception-handler cleanup bytecode. Use the dis(f) example as the baseline; done means omitting the unnecessary exc=None; del exc sequence where the exception variable is guaranteed to be bound without changing exception semantics.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

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

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