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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"`importlib.metadata.version(None)` returns arbitrary version number","articleBody":"The `version()` function of the `importlib.metadata` package returns an arbitrary version number when called with `None`. There's no documentation on what the return value means.\r\n\r\nI would have expected one of the following instead:\r\n- raise an error saying that the `distribution_name` parameter cannot be `None`, or\r\n- explain what the return value means in the [relevant documentation](https://docs.python.org/3.10/library/importlib.metadata.html#version).\r\n\r\nThe current behaviour is confusing as one could think, for example, that the return value is the version of the project/package they call it from.\r\n\r\n```\r\n\u003e\u003e\u003e import sys\r\n\u003e\u003e\u003e print(sys.version)\r\n3.10.0 (tags/v3.10.0:b494f59, Oct  4 2021, 19:00:18) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)]\r\n\u003e\u003e\u003e import importlib.metadata\r\n\u003e\u003e\u003e importlib.metadata.version(None)\r\n'21.2.3'\r\n```\r\n\r\nI looks like the return value is the version of an arbitrary package installed in the Python virtual environment. Calling the function repeatedly seems to give the same value, but installing a new package can cause the return value to change.\r\n\r\n**System information**\r\n\r\n- CPython versions tested on: 3.10.0\r\n- Operating system and architecture: Windows 10 Enterprise (64-bit operating system, x64-based processor)\r\n","author":{"url":"https://github.com/peterzahemszky","@type":"Person","name":"peterzahemszky"},"datePublished":"2022-05-26T14:28:20.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":5},"url":"https://github.com/93259/cpython/issues/93259"}