C API docs: PyRun_StringFlags: what is a "start token"?

[jwuttke]

Documentation

I was advised to use function PyRun_String to retrieve information on complex Python constructs from C.

The doc at https://docs.python.org/3/c-api/veryhigh.html refers from PyRun_String to PyRun_StringFlags , where I am told "The parameter start specifies the start token that should be used to parse the source code."

What is a "start token" please?

Linked PRs

• gh-129368: In PyRun C API docs, clarify what a "start token" is #129935
• [3.14] gh-129368: In PyRun C API docs, clarify what a "start token" is (GH-129935) #139042
• [3.13] gh-129368: In PyRun C API docs, clarify what a "start token" is (GH-129935) #139043

[erlend-aasland]

What is a "start token" please?

Quoting the introduction at the top of the page you linked to:

Several of these functions accept a start symbol from the grammar as a parameter. The available start symbols are Py_eval_input, Py_file_input, and Py_single_input. These are described following the functions which accept them as parameters.

It does say start symbols, not start tokens, though.

Further down on the page (I just grepped the page for "start token"), you find this:

The start token is given by start; this can be used to constrain the code which can be compiled and should be Py_eval_input, Py_file_input, or Py_single_input.

[iamrajhans]

hi @erlend-aasland, can i take this issue ?

[swastim01]

Hi,
If this issue is unassigned, I'd like to take it up.

[erlend-aasland]

Anyone is free to pick up any issue. We don't assign people to issues.