How to Prevent Python from Generating .pyc Files?

Preventing .pyc File Generation in Python

Python typically generates compiled .pyc files during execution for performance optimization. However, there are situations where you may want to prevent this behavior.

Can Python be run without generating .pyc files?

Yes. Python provides several options to avoid .pyc file creation:

• Command-Line Switch: Run Python with the -B switch: python -B prog.py.
• Environment Variable: Set the PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE environment variable to 1 before running Python.
• Python Program: Use Python code to modify the sys.dont_write_bytecode variable to change the interpreter's behavior.

Python 3.2 Update:

In Python 3.2, a special __pycache__ subfolder is introduced to mitigate the issue of clutter caused by .pyc files.

Note on Performance:

While suppressing .pyc files may be necessary in some cases, it's important to note that the default behavior is to generate bytecode for performance reasons. Configuring Python with PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 can hinder performance. For more information on the performance impact, refer to the provided resources.

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