How to refer to the local module in Python? - python

Let's say we have a module m:
var = None
def get_var():
return var
def set_var(v):
var = v
This will not work as expected, because set_var() will not store v in the module-wide var. It will create a local variable var instead.
So I need a way of referring the module m from within set_var(), which itself is a member of module m. How should I do this?

def set_var(v):
global var
var = v
The global keyword will allow you to change global variables from within in a function.

As Jeffrey Aylesworth's answer shows, you don't actually need a reference to the local module to achieve the OP's aim. The global keyword can achieve this aim.
However for the sake of answering the OP title, How to refer to the local module in Python?:
import sys
var = None
def set_var(v):
sys.modules[__name__].var = v
def get_var():
return var

As a follow up to Jeffrey's answer, I would like to add that, in Python 3, you can more generally access a variable from the closest enclosing scope:
def set_local_var():
var = None
def set_var(v):
nonlocal var
var = v
return (var, set_var)
# Test:
(my_var, my_set) = set_local_var()
print my_var # None
my_set(3)
print my_var # Should now be 3
(Caveat: I have not tested this, as I don't have Python 3.)

Related

Python function asserting value over pre declared value

I have a function (func.py). Structure of which look like this:
database = 'VENUS'
def first_function():
print("do some thing")
def second_function():
print("call third function)
third_function()
def third_function(db = database):
print("do some other thing")
I need to import this function and used the inner defined function. But, I want to use a different key for database. Basically, I want to overwrite database = 'VENUS' and use database = 'MARS' while second function call the third function. is there any way to do this?
Just provide the database name as argument
first_function("MARS")
second_function("MARS")
So the problem here, if I understood correctly, is that the default argument for func.third_function is defined at import time. It doesn't matter if you later modify the func.database variable, since the change will not reflect on the default argument of func.third_function.
One (admittedly hacky) solution is to inject a variable using a closure over the imported function. Example:
file.py:
x = 1
def print_x(xvalue = x)
print(xvalue)
Python console:
>>> import file
>>> file.print_x()
1
>>> file.x = 10
>>> file.print_x() # does not work (as you're probably aware)
1
>>> def inject_var(func_to_inject, var):
def f(*args, **kwargs):
return func_to_inject(var, *args, **kwargs)
return f
>>> file.print_x = inject_var(file.print_x, 10)
>>> file.print_x() # works
10
So using the inject_var as written above, you could probably do:
func.third_function = inject_var(func.third_function, "MARS")

How do you initialize a global variable only when its not defined?

I have a global dictionary variable that will be used in a function that gets called multiple times. I don't have control of when the function is called, or a scope outside of the function I'm writing. I need to initialize the variable only if its not initialized. Once initialized, I will add values to it.
global dict
if dict is None:
dict = {}
dict[lldb.thread.GetThreadID()] = dict[lldb.thread.GetThreadID()] + 1
Unfortunately, I get
NameError: global name 'dict' is not defined
I understand that I should define the variable, but since this code is called multiple times, by just saying dict = {} I would be RE-defining the variable every time the code is called, unless I can somehow check if it's not defined, and only define it then.
Catching the error:
try:
_ = myDict
except NameError:
global myDict
myDict = {}
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Do NOT use dict or any other built-in type as a variable name.
A more idiomatic way to do this is to set the name ahead of time to a sentinel value and then check against that:
_my_dict = None
...
def increment_thing():
global _my_dict
if _my_dict is None:
_my_dict = {}
thread_id = lldb.thread.GetThreadID()
_my_dict[thread_id] = _my_dict.get(thread_id, 0) + 1
Note, I don't know anything about lldb -- but if it is using python threads, you might be better off using a threading.local:
import threading
# Thread local storage
_tls = threading.local()
def increment_thing():
counter = getattr(_tls, 'counter', 0)
_tls.counter = counter + 1

how does the compile() work in python?

I have two code which really confused me.
def get_context():
__gc = globals()
__lc = locals()
def precompiler(code):
exec code in __lc
def compiler(script, scope):
return compile(script, scope, 'eval')
def executor(expr):
return eval(expr, __gc, __lc)
return precompiler, compiler, executor
maker1, compiler1, executor1 = get_context()
maker2, compiler2, executor2 = get_context()
maker1("abc = 123")
maker2("abc = 345")
expr1 = compiler1("abc == 123", "test.py")
print "executor1(abc == 123):", executor1(expr1)
print "executor2(abc == 123):", executor2(expr1)
the result is:
executor1(abc == 123): True
executor2(abc == 123): False
Why the compile execute in the closure only once and the byte-code could run in both?
And there is another code here:
def get_context():
__gc = globals()
__lc = locals()
test_var = 123
def compiler(script, scope):
return compile(script, scope, 'eval')
def executor(expr):
return eval(expr, __gc, __lc)
return compiler, executor
compiler1, executor1 = get_context()
compiler2, executor2 = get_context()
expr1 = compiler1("test_var == 123", "test.py")
print "executor1(test_var == 123):", executor1(expr1)
print "executor2(test_var == 123):", executor2(expr1)
the result is:
NameError: name 'test_var' is not defined
And how did this happen?
Why does the compile need to check the environment(variable or some others) of the closure while it is not dependent on the closure? This is what I confused!
In your first example, you are executing 'abc=123' in your first context, and 'abc=345' in your second context. So 'test_var==123' is true in your first context and false in your second context.
In your second example, you have caught an interesting situation where the interpreter has removed test_var from the context because test_var isn't referenced.
For your first question, compile just takes the python code and produces the bytecode. It it is not dependent in any way on the closure where you compiled it. Its not different then if you had produced say, a string. That string isn't permantely tied to the function where it was created and neither is the code object.
For your second question, locals() builds a dictionary of the local variables when it is called. Since you setup test_var after calling locals it doesn't have it. If you want test_var inside locals, you need to call it afterwards.

How to set the variable inside a function scope?

Could I set a variable inside a function scope, knowing that I sent this variable like a parameter..
See the example:
def test(param):
param = 3
var = 5
test(var)
print var
I want the value printed be 3, but it doesn't happen.
How can I do that?
Thanks..
You can return the value of param like this:
def test(param)
param = 3
return param
var = 5
var = test(var)
Or you can use a global variable.
Better to use return than a global:
def test(param):
param = 3
return param
var = 5
var = test(var)
print var
The global statement allows you to assign to variables declared outside a function's scope.
var = 5
def test():
global var
var = 3
test()
print var
However, I have found that I seldom need to use this technique. The functional programming model makes this less important.

declaring a global dynamic variable in python

I'm a python/programming newbie and maybe my question has no sense at all.
My problem is that I can't get a variable to be global if it is dynamic, I mean I can do this:
def creatingShotInstance():
import movieClass
BrokenCristals = movieClass.shot()
global BrokenCristals #here I declare BrokenCristals like a global variable and it works, I have access to this variable (that is a shot class instance) from any part of my script.
BrokenCristals.set_name('BrokenCristals')
BrokenCristals.set_description('Both characters goes through a big glass\nand break it')
BrokenCristals.set_length(500)
Fight._shots.append(BrokenCristals)
def accesingShotInstance():
import movieClass
return BrokenCristals.get_name()#it returns me 'BrokenCristals'
but if instead of doing that I declare a string variable like this:
def creatingShotInstance():
import movieClass
a = 'BrokenCristals'
vars()[a] = movieClass.shot()
global a #this line is the only line that is not working now, I do not have acces to BrokenCristals class instance from other method, but I do have in the same method.
eval(a+".set_name('"+a+"')")
eval(a+".set_description('Both characters goes through a big glass\nand break it')")
eval(a+".set_length(500)")
Fight._shots.append(vars()[a])
def accesingShotInstance():
import movieClass
return BrokenCristals.get_name()#it returns me 'BrokenCristals is not defined'
I tried this :
global vars()[a]
and this:
global eval(a)
but It gives me an error. What should I do?
For completeness, here's the answer to your original question. But it's almost certainly not what you meant to do -- there are very few cases where modifying the scope's dict is the right thing to do.
globals()[a] = 'whatever'
Instead of a dynamic global variable, use a dict:
movies = {}
a = 'BrokenCristals'
movies[a] = movieClass.shot()
movies[a].set_name(a)
# etc
The global keyword specifies that a variable you're using in one scope actually belongs to the outer scope. Since you do not have nested scopes in your example, global doesn't know what you're trying to do. See Using global variables in a function other than the one that created them
Your code works fine!
It was just a spelling mistake and missing brackets!
First syntax error there are no square brackets:
File "main.py", line 6
global BrokenCristals
^
SyntaxError: name 'BrokenCristals' is assigned to before global declaration
Second syntax error there is no letter s on the end of global:
File "main.py", line 6
global [BrokenCristals]
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
Corrected syntax:
def creatingShotInstance():
import movieClass
BrokenCristals = movieClass.shot()
globals [BrokenCristals]
BrokenCristals.set_name('BrokenCristals')
BrokenCristals.set_description('Both characters goes through a big glass\nand break it')
BrokenCristals.set_length(500)
Fight._shots.append(BrokenCristals)
def accesingShotInstance():
import movieClass
return BrokenCristals.get_name()
Corrected syntax using declared string:
def creatingShotInstance():
import movieClass
a = 'BrokenCristals'
vars()[a] = movieClass.shot()
globals [a]
eval(a+".set_name('"+a+"')")
eval(a+".set_description('Both characters goes through a big glass\nand break it')")
eval(a+".set_length(500)")
Fight._shots.append(vars()[a])
def accesingShotInstance():
import movieClass
return BrokenCristals.get_name()

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