How to Prevent Compiled .pyc File Generation in Python?

Preventing Compiled .pyc Files in Python

Python interpreter typically generates compiled .pyc files for faster execution. However, in certain scenarios, it might be necessary to disable this behavior.

Disabling .pyc File Generation

According to the Python documentation, the -B switch can be used to prevent the interpreter from creating .pyc or .pyo files. This can be achieved by running the following command:

python -B prog.py

Alternate Option

As an alternative, the PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE environment variable can be set before executing the interpreter. The following command accomplishes the same effect:

PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 python prog.py

This setting can also be modified within Python programs using the sys.dont_write_bytecode variable.

Performance Implications

It's important to note that the default behavior of generating bytecode is for performance reasons. Disabling this feature can negatively impact performance, especially when the same code is executed repeatedly.

PYC Repository Directories

In Python 3.2, the generation of .pyc files has been updated to store them in a dedicated __pycache__ subfolder to avoid cluttering source folders.

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