About

The compiled file of Python.

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Location

To speed up loading modules, Python caches the compiled version of each module in the __pycache__ directory

Format

The name

module.version.pyc

where:

• Python Package - Module
• Python - Version - the format of the compiled file

For example, in CPython release 3.3:

• source: spam.py
• compiled version: __pycache__/spam.cpython-33.pyc.

This naming convention allows compiled modules from different releases and different versions of Python to coexist.

Documentation / Reference

• https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/modules.html#compiled-python-files