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Here's the example code:
setting1 = "val1"
setting2 = "val2"
def dummy():
 global setting1
def f(x):
 d ={"setting1":setting1,"setting2":setting2}
 exec(x) in d
 return d['setting1'], d['setting2']
print f("setting1=setting2='new'")
Expected result: ('new', 'new')
Actual result: ('val1', 'new')
The presence of "global setting1" in a different function effectively
stops a shadowed setting1 from being created by the exec.
Workaround: Add a real assignment before the exec, i.e.:
def f(x):
 setting1 = 0
 exec(x)
 return setting1, setting2
or do the exec in a dictionary instead of in the current scope.
Observed in:
Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, May 18 2007, 16:56:43) on Cygwin
Python 2.5.2 on 2.6.26-gentoo-r1 (by Christopher Faylor
http://www.cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2008-11/msg00168.html )
Not observed in:
Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, Aug 1 2008, 00:32:16) on SUSE Linux
Python 2.4.4 (#2, Apr 17 2008, 01:58:28) (Debian etch, ARM)
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jul 31 2008, 17:31:22) (Ubuntu)