$ python
>>> import lib
>>> lib.re
That's how __init__.py files work, and is part of what makes Python awesome. Using `import *` is very bad practice in modules (except in very specific cases) because it brings in a bunch of crap you don't want and didn't expect. Modules should define a '__all__' list of 'public things' you want to export, but restricting access is very anti-python as we're all consenting adults. If it's undocumented in Python, you should pretend it doesn't exist.
I don't agree. It's fairly common to dive into 3rd party packages code to see what's occurring and to use 'undocumented' things (which is mostly because the documentation is bad rather than being hidden away). Just look at the Django `_meta` API, which people relied on because it was the only place you could get some specific model information in a stable way, despite being undocumented and private. Now it's been formalized into a proper API.Pythons extensive use of duck typing also makes it a lot easier to work with undocumented stuff, you can make some wide ranging changes to internals (changing types completely, turning properties into functions) but as long as it quacks roughly the same nothing breaks.