How do I find out why importing failed with PyImportModule?

Question

I have this code in a C application that's embedding Python (2.7.1):

{
PyObject *user_dict;
PyObject *user_func;
PyObject *result;
PyObject *header_tuple;
PyObject *original_recipients;
PyObject *working_recipients;

if (!Py_IsInitialized())
    {
    Py_Initialize();
    }

if (!expy_exim_dict)
    {
    PyObject *module = Py_InitModule(expy_exim_module, expy_exim_methods); /* Borrowed reference */
    Py_INCREF(module);                                 /* convert to New reference */
    expy_exim_dict = PyModule_GetDict(module);         /* Borrowed reference */
    Py_INCREF(expy_exim_dict);                         /* convert to New reference */
    }

if (!expy_user_module)
    {
    if (expy_path_add)
        {
        PyObject *sys_module;
        PyObject *sys_dict;
        PyObject *sys_path;
        PyObject *add_value;

        sys_module = PyImport_ImportModule("sys");  /* New Reference */
        if (!sys_module)
            {
            PyErr_Clear();
            *return_text = "Internal error, can't import Python sys module";
            log_write(0, LOG_REJECT, "Couldn't import Python 'sys' module");
            return PYTHON_FAILURE_RETURN;
            }

        sys_dict = PyModule_GetDict(sys_module);               /* Borrowed Reference, never fails */
        sys_path = PyMapping_GetItemString(sys_dict, "path");  /* New reference */

        if (!sys_path || (!PyList_Check(sys_path)))
            {
            PyErr_Clear();  /* in case sys_path was NULL, harmless otherwise */
            *return_text = "Internal error, sys.path doesn't exist or isn't a list";
            log_write(0, LOG_REJECT, "expy: Python sys.path doesn't exist or isn't a list");
            return PYTHON_FAILURE_RETURN;
            }

        add_value = PyString_FromString(expy_path_add);  /* New reference */
        if (!add_value)
            {
            PyErr_Clear();
            log_write(0, LOG_PANIC, "expy: Failed to create Python string from [%s]", expy_path_add);
            return PYTHON_FAILURE_RETURN;
            }

        if (PyList_Append(sys_path, add_value))
            {
            PyErr_Clear();
            log_write(0, LOG_PANIC, "expy: Failed to append [%s] to Python sys.path", expy_path_add);
            }

        Py_DECREF(add_value);
        Py_DECREF(sys_path);
        Py_DECREF(sys_module);
        }

    expy_user_module = PyImport_ImportModule(expy_scan_module);  /* New Reference */

    if (!expy_user_module)
        {
        PyErr_Clear();
        /* Handle error */
        }
    }

When PyImport_ImportModule fails, it returns NULL. How can I find out why it failed to import? (e.g. when importing the module works find outside of the embedding).

(The code is part of py-exim-localscan, and I'm wanting to add more information about failures in the rare cases when they occur).

Answer 1

You do this by looking at the exception that was raised. Currently you wipe the exception (that's what PyErr_Clear() does.) Don't do that, and instead print the traceback or inspect the exception object. See http://docs.python.org/c-api/exceptions.html for information on how to do that from C code, but usually the best idea is to just let the exception propagate.