Day-2 of learning Python | Exploring Python Shell and Module Reloading

Samiksha Srivastav — Tue, 05 May 2026 14:28:45 +0000

While learning python today, I spent some time understanding how the Python shell works and how modules behave inside it.

The Python shell (or REPL) is basically an interactive environment where you can run code line-by-line. It's super useful when you just want to test something quickly instead of running a full script every time.

While experimenting, I tried something interesting. I created a Python file, defined a few functions and variables in it, and then imported that file into the Python shell. everything worked perfectly at first.

But then I made some changes in the file - added few functions and modified a few existing ones - and tried to use them again in the shell. Surprisingly, I started getting errors.

At first, it felt confusing because I had clearly updated the code. But then I learned what was actually happening behind the scenes.

When we import a module in Python, it gets loaded into the memory once. So even if we change the file later and save them, the Python shell doesn't automatically pick up those changes.

To fix this, Python provides a way to reload the module using the importlib module:

import importlib
importlib.reload(module_name)

This forces Python to reload the module and reflect the latest changes.

It was a small thing, but understanding this made the behavior of Python much clearer to me. It also showed me how important it is to know what's happening internally, not just write code.

Getting Started with Python

Samiksha Srivastav — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:45:53 +0000

Today I started learning Python, and I explored some fundamental concepts that helped me understand how Python actually works behind the scenes.

What is Python?

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language.

Being high-level means it is easy to read and write, as it is closer to human language and abstracts away hardware complexity.
This makes it very different from low-level languages like assembly or machine language, which directly interact with hardware.

Is Python Really Interpreted?

We often hear that Python is an interpreted language, but there is a bit more to it.

Python actually works in two main steps:

Compilation to Bytecode
First, Python converts your code into an intermediate format called bytecode.
Execution using Python Virtual Machine (PVM)
This bytecode is then executed by the Python Virtual Machine (PVM.)

This process is what makes Python both flexible and easy to debug.

What is pycache?

While running Python programs, you might notice a folder named pycache.

It stores compiled bytecode files(.pyc)
These files help Python run faster when the program is executed again
This process is usually automatic and hidden from developers

Key Takeaways

Python is easy to read and beginner-friendly
It is interpreted but internally uses bytecode
Execution happens through the Python Virtual Machine (PVM)
pycache improves performance by storing compiled code

Final Thoughts

Understanding what happens behind the scenes makes learning Python much more interesting. This is just the beginning of my journey, and I'm excited to explore more.

Follow my journey as I continue learning and building in Python!