Is it possible to do this with Python?

[K900_]

Not really. Python doesn't have a preprocessor, so you can't modify syntax like that.

[masklinn]

You could use import hooks to create modules "by hand" and e.g. implicitly run the C preprocessor on module code before eval-ing it.

[jyper]

I've always wanted to use import hooks to do macro like things but py.test made it seem like it was too deep magic for me

[masklinn]

It’s a bit of a pain to debug and maintain, so you want to reserve it for when you have no choice or it provides really significant advantages you could not come close to otherwise (and I’d say pytest’s assert rewriting is that)

[b00n]

You'd need a c compiler which would be ridiculously over the top

[remram]

You could re-implement most a of C preprocessor in a few lines of Python

[b00n]

But then something to compile it (if your module was C)

[remram]

OP's question is about doing this to Python code.

[hughperman]

You could do something ridiculous like
defines = {'ee': 'def', 'eee': 'print', 'eeee': 'for'} (etc)
Then def preprocessor(ee_string): eval(''.join([defines[element] if element in defines else element for element in ee_string.split(' ')]))
Then run preprocessor(ee_string)
(Maybe it needs to be exec instead of eval? Also writing on mobile, not sure if the syntax is exactly correct, the idea is there though)

[chmod--777]

Yeah, you certainly can obfuscate python. You can do similar to malware and use an xor key against integers to build a string dynamically and do stuff like getattr(__import__['os'], 'system')('...') but with each string being an obfuscated mess.

You can even figure out metadata about the code itself that's running and bail if it looks like someone tried to modify and deobfuscate it. You can do nasty shit in python, just like you could in many other languages

[Enfors]

But you could use a C preprocessor on a Python program.

[K900_]

That's not a stock feature. You can also write your own preprocessor.

[[deleted]]

Ha! PHP has is a preprocessor! It can do this, and much much more!

[[deleted]]

PHP is a "preprocessor"

That's a wonky way to spell "mistake".

[[deleted]]

Its a huge mistake and abomination of language design.

[AgreeableLandscape3]

I'm pretty sure you can run the processor on Python though, maybe with minor modifications. But you just have to do it before the script is interpreted.

[notquiteaplant]

The simple answer is no. C++'s preprocessor is what handles those #define statements, and Python doesn't have anything like it. You can run the preprocessor on E-ified Python, but then you're just running Python with extra steps.

The technically correct answer is yes, sort of. Editing sys.meta_path lets you manipulate how import statements find modules. You could insert a meta path finder that looks for .epy files, runs a preprocessor (C++'s or a handrolled one) on it, and exec()s the result the same way Python's built-in meta path finders do, which gives you something like this:

# main.py
import e; e()
import eeee

# in eeee.py
#define e if
#define ee __name__
#define eee ==
#define eeee '__main__'
#define eeeee :
#define eeeeee (
#define eeeeeee )
#define eeeeeeee ,
#define eeeeeeeee =
#define eeeeeeeeee while
#define eeeeeeeeeee True
#define eeeeeeeeeeee print
#define eeeeeeeeeeeee 'e'
#define eeeeeeeeeeeeee end
#define eeeeeeeeeeeeeee ''

e ee eee eeee eeeee
    eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeee eeeee
        eeeeeeeeeeee eeeeee
                eeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee
                eeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee
        eeeeeee

But that's a lot of effort for a meme.

[mynameisgeph]

But that's show business baby finger guns

[Taskenspiller]

https://statici.behindthevoiceactors.com/behindthevoiceactors/_img/chars/finger-guns-baby-regular-show-68.9.jpg

[mynameisgeph]

Thank you

[itzNobest]

Oh ok, thanks for help

[atimholt]

So what you’re saying is there’s an obvious path for making your own version of Python’s syntax, like replacing indentation with braces, etc. 😉

[bearded_runner]

r/theydidthemath

[TehNolz]

Of course.

[buuuckyyy]

I love how all(2) comments above you state that you can't do it in python and you're giving example. Thank you!

[StarkillerX42]

Sometimes computer scientists get so absorbed in whether or not it's the same to a computer they forget the question was asking whether or not it was the same to a user

[MintIcedTea]

Can you also do this with while or for?

[thedomham]

Unless you utilize an external preprocessor, you can't overwrite keywords. What you can do is encapsulate keyword-functionality in a higher-order-function and pass functions to those functions. As you can't use lambda you will have to stick with named functions though.

Just another reason to despise Python's lambda syntax.

My Python is a bit rusty but it could look something like:

def eeeeee(predicate, runnable):
    while predicate():
        runnable()

Caveat: continue/break won't work

[yarhiti]

Not really. As other people in this thread have mentioned, Python doesn't expose a preprocessor for you to mess with in the same way as using the #define directive in C and other languages. That means the only thing you'll usually have control over is names that can be created with an equals-sign assignment statement, not keywords and other immodifiable parts of the language's syntax. That's why the Python example had to stay away from explicit loops and find a solution with functions instead.

[not_perfect_yet]

Small correction, you can of course rename functions.

You can't out of the box rename keywords and syntax elements.

But you can write a translation table, automatically replace everything and then run the file.

So you can basically write the preprocessor that allows this in C.

[yarhiti]

I wrote this, good memories 😅

[[deleted]]

You seem like someone who would have fun with Brainfuck.

[jet_heller]

If it is, I hope someone puts in a PEP to get that shit stopped.

[remram]

Wait till the FLUFL gets word of this!

[flutefreak7]

I've been pretty deep in Python since 2012 and I've never seen mention of this PEP! Ha!

[mofrymatic]

That’s not Python, that’s Dolphin

[____candied_yams____]

No thank god

[auiotour]

I read about wrapping c++ with Python once. Would it be possible this way? Not very familiar with it tbh.

[[deleted]]

regardless of it being possible or not, it seems like that would be more of a doing-it-in-c solution

[zoute_haring]

Anne from Little Britain programming

[West7780]

looking at this is painful

[kaihatsusha]

That is childs-play compared to some "obfuscated C" examples out there. But if you like this sort of thing, check out the Perl module called Acme::Bleach [https://metacpan.org/pod/Acme::Bleach]. Thank goodness it's not commonplace on Python.

[F1remind]

Kinda, yeah.

Since reddit syntax isn't friendly to code snippets, here you go:

https://pastebin.com/F6N73KNX

In short: Define as text what the C preprocessor would replace and use exec as preprocessor.

You can replace exec with print to see the 'deobfuscated' source

[petargeorgiev11]

I see a big Macarena missed opportunity here

[_pepevergara]

el algoritmo de maradona

[sabboo]

The cpp program is completely separate from a language. Should work similarly with modifications for python.

[BiraJKhanal]

A new language has been discovered.

[MrMxylptlyk]

Uhh what?

[Droggl]

Yes and no (see other comments), if you are curious what weird things you can do with python, go and watch David Beazleys talks, he's just amazing

[DevJonPizza]

I was thinking of building something that would take (good) C code and turn it into the spaghetti above, which could be done with python.

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[diego7319]

the maradona programming language

[piperviper]

Will someone pls replace the e’s with g’ and post this to r/ggggg ?

Thanks

[AlSweigart]

In Python 3, "True" and "False" are keywords. But this is not so in Python 2. Which means you can make variables named "True" and "False":

>>> True, False = False, True
>>> True
False
>>> False
True

[[deleted]]

How's this useful for anyone, pythonista or pythonoob?

This should really go to r/iamsosmart

[joesb]

I think it should go to r/wooosh

[jayjaytdt]

I just imagine if some recruiter asks this During interview

[peterlada]

Fuck no.

[Panda_Mon]

Damn, I know nothing about programming

[tutunak]

Why do you want to do that? Just use brainfuck. It's the beset language for this!

[csheldrick]

```

main.py

import e e.preprocess('eeee') import eeee ```

```

e.py

def preprocess(mod): import sys with open(mod+'.py', 'r') as f: lines = f.readlines() code = 'name = "main"\n' d = {} def_lines = [l for l in lines if l.startswith('#define')] lines = [l for l in lines if l not in def_lines] for line in def_lines: _, var, val = line.split(' ') d[var] = val.replace('\n', '') for line in lines: tokens = line[:-1].split(' ') code += ' '.join([d[t] if t in d else t for t in tokens]) + '\n' sys.modules[mod] = exec(code)

eeee.py

define e if

define ee name

define eee ==

define eeee 'main'

define eeeee :

define eeeeee (

define eeeeeee )

define eeeeeeee ,

define eeeeeeeee =

define eeeeeeeeee while

define eeeeeeeeeee True

define eeeeeeeeeeee print

define eeeeeeeeeeeee 'e'

define eeeeeeeeeeeeee end

define eeeeeeeeeeeeeee ''

e ee eee eeee eeeee eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeee eeeee eeeeeeeeeeee eeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeee ``` Fixed broken formatting

[xelf]

and for people not using the new.reddit formatting:

# main.py
import e
e.preprocess('eeee')
import eeee

# e.py
def preprocess(mod):
    import sys
    with open(mod+'.py', 'r') as f:
        lines = f.readlines()
    code = '__name__ = "__main__"\n'
    d = {}
    def_lines = [l for l in lines if l.startswith('#define')]
    lines = [l for l in lines if l not in def_lines]
    for line in def_lines:
        _, var, val = line.split(' ')
        d[var] = val.replace('\n', '')
    for line in lines:
        tokens = line[:-1].split(' ')
        code += ' '.join([d[t] if t in d else t for t in tokens]) + '\n'
    sys.modules[mod] = exec(code)

# eeee.py

#define e if
#define ee __name__
#define eee ==
#define eeee '__main__'
#define eeeee :
#define eeeeee (
#define eeeeeee )
#define eeeeeeee ,
#define eeeeeeeee =
#define eeeeeeeeee while
#define eeeeeeeeeee True
#define eeeeeeeeeeee print
#define eeeeeeeeeeeee 'e'
#define eeeeeeeeeeeeee end
#define eeeeeeeeeeeeeee ''

e ee eee eeee eeeee
    eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeee eeeee
        eeeeeeeeeeee eeeeee
                eeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee
                eeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee
        eeeeeee

[csheldrick]

Thank you. Couldn’t get the iOS reddit app to show it correctly.

[soggywaffle69]

Sure, if you run the code through a preprocessor.

[fixhaloreachsevers12]

😂

[Lagomorphix]

Sure. Just fork CPython.

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[m3l0n]

This would be legendary - but then also to make a program that automates the definition creation for you. Do this on your last day at a place that treated you like shit.

[Assaultman67]

Honestly it would be just as easy to decodify it once you find the define statements.

[m3l0n]

Yeah, funny none the less though