__std__: a simple wrapper for the Standard Library

Danny Yoo (dyoo@hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu) with suggestions from Bengt
Richter, Just van Rossum, Robin Becker, Terry Hancock, and Andrew
Bennetts from comp.lang.python.  For historical record, here's a link
to the discussion:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=avl3bi%24v9i%241%40agate.berkeley.edu&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Davl3bi%2524v9i%25241%2540agate.berkeley.edu

__std__ provides a standard namespace that we can use to import
libraries from the Standard Library, regardless of what current
directory we're in.  The __std__ module provides the programmer
consistant access to the Standard Library without having to worry
about module path problems.

As a concrete example, say that we're experimenting with the random
module, and by accident, we name our testing program 'random.py'.  We
can't just say:

    import random
    random.randint()

because we'll be importing our own custom 'random' rather than the one
in the Standard Library.  No problem: this is what __std__ is meant to
solve!  We can get at the Standard Library module like this:

    ###
    ### random.py
    ###
    from __std__ import random
    for i in range(10):
        print random.rand()


If you have any suggestions, please feel free to email me at
dyoo@hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu.  Thanks!