- New function sys.exc_clear() clears the current exception. This is

  rarely needed, but can sometimes be useful to release objects
  referenced by the traceback held in sys.exc_info()[2].  (SF patch
  #693195.)  Thanks to Kevin Jacobs!

2 files changed, 29 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/Doc/lib/libsys.tex b/Doc/lib/libsys.tex
index 3f8f7b6..d027aa6 100644
--- a/Doc/lib/libsys.tex
+++ b/Doc/lib/libsys.tex
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ It is always available.
   encapsulates the call stack at the point where the exception
   originally occurred.  \obindex{traceback}
 
+  If \function{exc_clear()} is called, this function will return three
+  \code{None} values until either another exception is raised in the
+  current thread or the execution stack returns to a frame where
+  another exception is being handled.
+
   \warning{Assigning the \var{traceback} return value to a
   local variable in a function that is handling an exception will
   cause a circular reference.  This will prevent anything referenced
@@ -115,6 +120,21 @@ It is always available.
   efficient to avoid creating cycles.}
 \end{funcdesc}
 
+\begin{funcdesc}{exc_clear}{}
+  This function clears all information relating to the current or last
+  exception that occured in the current thread.  After calling this
+  function, \function{exc_info()} will return three \code{None} values until
+  another exception is raised in the current thread or the execution stack
+  returns to a frame where another exception is being handled.
+  
+  This function is only needed in only a few obscure situations.  These
+  include logging and error handling systems that report information on the
+  last or current exception.  This function can also be used to try to free
+  resources and trigger object finalization, though no guarantee is made as
+  to what objects will be freed, if any.
+\versionadded{2.3}
+\end{funcdesc}
+
 \begin{datadesc}{exc_type}
 \dataline{exc_value}
 \dataline{exc_traceback}
diff --git a/Doc/tut/tut.tex b/Doc/tut/tut.tex
index cfc56f0..a9fb325 100644
--- a/Doc/tut/tut.tex
+++ b/Doc/tut/tut.tex
@@ -2451,14 +2451,15 @@ a module defines.  It returns a sorted list of strings:
 ['__name__', 'fib', 'fib2']
 >>> dir(sys)
 ['__displayhook__', '__doc__', '__excepthook__', '__name__', '__stderr__',
- '__stdin__', '__stdout__', '_getframe', 'argv', 'builtin_module_names',
- 'byteorder', 'copyright', 'displayhook', 'exc_info', 'exc_type',
- 'excepthook', 'exec_prefix', 'executable', 'exit', 'getdefaultencoding',
- 'getdlopenflags', 'getrecursionlimit', 'getrefcount', 'hexversion',
- 'maxint', 'maxunicode', 'modules', 'path', 'platform', 'prefix', 'ps1',
- 'ps2', 'setcheckinterval', 'setdlopenflags', 'setprofile',
- 'setrecursionlimit', 'settrace', 'stderr', 'stdin', 'stdout', 'version',
- 'version_info', 'warnoptions']
+ '__stdin__', '__stdout__', '_getframe', 'api_version', 'argv', 
+ 'builtin_module_names', 'byteorder', 'callstats', 'copyright',
+ 'displayhook', 'exc_clear', 'exc_info', 'exc_type', 'excepthook',
+ 'exec_prefix', 'executable', 'exit', 'getdefaultencoding', 'getdlopenflags',
+ 'getrecursionlimit', 'getrefcount', 'hexversion', 'maxint', 'maxunicode',
+ 'meta_path', 'modules', 'path', 'path_hooks', 'path_importer_cache',
+ 'platform', 'prefix', 'ps1', 'ps2', 'setcheckinterval', 'setdlopenflags',
+ 'setprofile', 'setrecursionlimit', 'settrace', 'stderr', 'stdin', 'stdout',
+ 'version', 'version_info', 'warnoptions']
 \end{verbatim}
 
 Without arguments, \function{dir()} lists the names you have defined