Lifetime of import statements and variables

[ssimo3lsuhsc]

I have a long document that will potentially call features of PyLuaTeX multiple times. I want to clarify something. I do not have any reason to change PyLuaTeX's shutdown option. I'm keeping it as veryveryend. I want to be clear of the secondary implications of keeping it the way it is.

Particularly, I want to be clear if I am correct in assuming that if I issue a statement foo = None or import bar in one block of Python code, then I do not have to issue the same statements in subsequent blocks of code.

[tndrle]

Your assumption is correct. Python state is retained until the end of the document.

The effect of changing the shutdown option is very subtle and not noticeable in most scenarios.
PyLuaTeX (or, more precisely, the connected Python instance) shuts down ...

• veryenddocument: ... after the .aux file is closed and read in again
• veryveryend: ... right before the final \@@end
• off: ... after the LuaTeX process shuts down

Early versions of PyLuaTeX behaved like off but that caused problems with SyncTeX under Windows (#8).