An experiment into monkey-patching the rather excellent Requests library

patch_requests.py

import __main__
import types

# patch_requests by Joshua Saxby
# An experiment into monkey-patching the rather excellent Requests
# library so the module can be hooked on a global level with minimal
# code having to be written by the end-user.


try:
    # Try block is for when the module has already been loaded
    assert isinstance(__main__.requests, types.ModuleType)
except AttributeError:
    # Except is for when we need to import it ourselves
    import requests
    __main__.requests = requests
    assert isinstance(__main__.requests, types.ModuleType)
finally:
    # Now, monkey-patch that module! ;)
    backup_request = __main__.requests.api.request
    def replacement_request(*args, **kwargs):
        print('request function called')
        return backup_request(*args, **kwargs)

    __main__.requests.api.request = replacement_request