Why is "import" a statement but "reload" a function?

Question

I know how to use both, but I'm curious why the decision was made to make one a statement and the other a function.

because the `import` statement benefits from alternate syntax like `from __ import __ as __` where as `reload` only ever needs the module object to re use it's loader. — Tadhg McDonald-Jensen, Apr 25 '16 at 13:27
`import` is used to import modules, `reload()` can also load certain parts of a module. — linusg, Apr 25 '16 at 13:28
@cricket_007 if it was a statement it would just as easily be written `reload random #name` as appose to `reload(random) #module object` — Tadhg McDonald-Jensen, Apr 25 '16 at 13:29
I'd possibly check when the `reload` function was added. Since it's such a common name, I figure it would break a lot of existing code if it suddenly became a keyword. — Vincent Savard, Apr 25 '16 at 13:34
Reolad function because call statement with changes ! import do nothing ! — dsgdfg, Apr 25 '16 at 13:39

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

First of all you can import using a function, from importlib's documentation:

The __import__() function
The import statement is syntactic sugar for this function.

for instance both of these statements are equivalent:

from random import randint as random_int

random_int = __import__("random").randint

However the import statement greatly benefits from alternate syntax where as reload does not really have any alternate meaning.

I can also imagine a lot of beginner programmers making this mistake if reload was it's own statement:

from random import *
reload random #does not affect the current namespace!

Since the reload function requires a module (which is not preduced with from _ import *) coders may wonder why the names imported are not reloaded. related to this answer

Why is "import" a statement but "reload" a function?

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