why do we invoke print after importing print_function (in Python 2.6)

Question

To get the 3.0 print function we do the following in Python 2.6:

from __future__ import print_function

But to use the function we invoke pr

Answer 1

Minimal example

>>> print     # Statement.

>>> from __future__ import print_function
>>> print     # Function object.

>>> print()   # Function call.

>>>

As mentioned at: What is __future__ in Python used for and how/when to use it, and how it works from __future__ are magic statements that alter how Python parses code.

from __future__ import print_function in particular changes print from a statement into a built-in function, as shown in the interactive shell above.

Why print(1) works without from __future__ import print_function in Python 2

Because the:

print(1)

is parsed as:

print (1)
^^^^^ ^^^
1     2

1. print statement
2. argument

instead of:

print( 1 )
^^^^^^ ^ ^
1      2 1

1. print() function
2. argument

And:

assert 1 == (1)

as mentioned at: Python tuple trailing comma syntax rule