Reset Python4Delphi engine?

Question

I use D7 with Python4Delphi. After users have imported much of py-files, Python have all these modules cached. I need a way to reset Py engine. So that Py "forgets" all user-imported modules, and I have "clean" Python, w/out restarting the app. How to do it?

Answer 1

There is a demo showing you how to unload/reload python using P4D at https://github.com/pyscripter/python4delphi/tree/master/PythonForDelphi/Demos/Demo34. The key method that (re)creates the python components and (re)loads different versions of python is shown below:

procedure TForm1.CreatePythonComponents;
begin
  if cbPyVersions.ItemIndex <0 then begin
    ShowMessage('No Python version is selected');
    Exit;
  end;

  // Destroy P4D components
  FreeAndNil(PythonEngine1);
  FreeAndNil(PythonType1);
  FreeAndNil(PythonModule1);

  { TPythonEngine }
  PythonEngine1 := TPythonEngine.Create(Self);
  PyVersions[cbPyVersions.ItemIndex].AssignTo(PythonEngine1);

  PythonEngine1.IO := PythonGUIInputOutput1;

  { TPythonModule }
  PythonModule1 := TPythonModule.Create(Self);

  PythonModule1.Name := 'PythonModule1';
  PythonModule1.Engine := PythonEngine1;
  PythonModule1.ModuleName := 'spam';
  with PythonModule1.Errors.Add do begin
    Name := 'PointError';
    ErrorType := etClass;
  end;
  with PythonModule1.Errors.Add do begin
    Name := 'EBadPoint';
    ErrorType := etClass;
    ParentClass.Name := 'PointError';
  end;

  { TPythonType }
  PythonType1 := TPythonType.Create(Self);

  PythonType1.Name := 'PythonType1';
  PythonType1.Engine := PythonEngine1;
  PythonType1.OnInitialization := PythonType1Initialization;
  PythonType1.TypeName := 'Point';
  PythonType1.Prefix := 'Create';
  PythonType1.Services.Basic := [bsRepr,bsStr,bsGetAttrO,bsSetAttrO];
  PythonType1.TypeFlags :=
    [tpfHaveGetCharBuffer,tpfHaveSequenceIn,tpfHaveInplaceOps, 
   tpfHaveRichCompare,tpfHaveWeakRefs,tpfHaveIter,tpfHaveClass,tpfBaseType];
  PythonType1.Module := PythonModule1;

  PythonEngine1.LoadDll;
end;

The demo uses the unit PythonVersions to discover installed python versions.

Answer 2

It should be sufficient to destroy and re-create the TPythonEngine object:

OriginalOwner := GetPythonEngine.Owner;
GetPythonEngine.Free;
TPythonEngine.Create(OriginalOwner);

Destroying it calls Py_Finalize, which frees all memory allocated by the Python DLL.

Or, if you're just using the Python API without the VCL wrappers, you can probably just call Py_NewInterpreter on your TPythonInterface object to get a fresh execution environment without necessarily discarding everything done before.