--- a/pylearn/version.py	Fri Oct 22 11:11:51 2010 -0400
+++ b/pylearn/version.py	Tue Oct 26 16:34:20 2010 -0400
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@
 def _import_id(tag):
     try :
         location = _imp.find_module(tag)
+        mod = __import__(tag)
     except ImportError, e: #raise when tag is not found
         return e #put this in the cache, import_id will raise it
 
@@ -223,21 +224,26 @@
     resource_type = location[2][2]
 
     if resource_type == _imp.PY_SOURCE:
-        return _import_id_py_source(location)
+        ret = _import_id_py_source(location)
     if resource_type == _imp.PY_COMPILED:
-        return _import_id_py_compiled(location)
+        ret = _import_id_py_compiled(location)
     if resource_type == _imp.C_EXTENSION:
         raise NotImplementedError
     if resource_type == _imp.PY_RESOURCE:
         raise NotImplementedError
     if resource_type == _imp.PKG_DIRECTORY:
-        return _import_id_pkg_directory(location)
+        ret = _import_id_pkg_directory(location)
     if resource_type == _imp.C_BUILTIN:
         raise NotImplementedError
     if resource_type == _imp.PY_FROZEN:
         raise NotImplementedError
+    #the list of resource types above should be exhaustive
 
-    assert False #the list of resource types above should be exhaustive
+    if ret.startswith(_unknown_version):
+        if hasattr(mod,'__version__'):
+            return mod.__version__
+    else:
+        return ret
 
 def import_id(tag):
     """Return an identifier of the code imported by 'import <tag>'.