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I use the following approach (code below) to add all the local variables from a function to the global namespace. Is there a better way to do this?

This specific case is not for general practice, but for debugging some process automation. The idea is to dump the local variables of certain functions into global and then filtering/saving the globals() entry. So than they can be loaded for a debugging session.


### Function Def ###

### This is function where you create some 
#   variable that you want to add to the 
#   "globals()" or global namespace
#

def create_local_var(add2globals = False):
    
    if (add2globals):
        locals_keys_pre = list(locals().keys())
    
    C_key = "C_value"
    D_key = "D_value"
    
    if (add2globals):
        locals_keys_post = list(locals().keys())
        
        ### Filtering the entries of "locals_keys_pre"
        #   from the "locals_keys_post" so that only 
        #   the newly created variables in this function
        #   are included in the "newLocalsKeyList" list
        
        newLocalsKeyList = [item for item in locals_keys_post if item not in locals_keys_pre]
        
        for key in newLocalsKeyList:
            
            ### Adding the variables created in the 
            #   local namespace to the global namespace
            
            globals()[key] = locals()[key]
    
    return
#

Now calling the "create_local_var" function



########## Main ##########

### Declaring a switch to turn on/off the
#   capability to add variables from the 
#   local namespace to the global namespace

add2globals = True

# Listing the entries already in the "globals()"

globals_key_pre = list(globals().keys())

# Creating some variables

A_key = "A_value"
B_key = "B_value"

### Calling the fuction to create some 
#   local variables

create_local_var(add2globals)


### Listing the entries in the "globals()" 
#   after creating variables

globals_key_post = list(globals().keys())

### Filtering the entries of "globals_key_pre"
#   from the "globals_key_post" so that only 
#   the newly created variables are included 
#   in the "newKeyList" list

newKeyList = [item for item in globals_key_post if item not in globals_key_pre ]

for key in newKeyList:
    str2print = str(key) + " : " + str(globals()[key])
    print(str2print)
#

Running the code with "add2global = False" will leave the variables created in the "create_local_var" functions in the local namespace. And, running the code with "add2global = True" will add all the variables created in the "create_local_var" functions to the global namespace. Below are the outputs for add2global = True/False

Output (with, add2global = False):


globals_key_pre : ['__name__', '__doc__', '__package__', '__loader__', '__spec__', '__annotations__', '__builtins__', '__file__', '__cached__', 'create_local_var', 'add2globals']
A_key : A_value
B_key : B_value

Output (with, add2global = True):


globals_key_pre : ['__name__', '__doc__', '__package__', '__loader__', '__spec__', '__annotations__', '__builtins__', '__file__', '__cached__', 'create_local_var', 'add2globals']
A_key : A_value
B_key : B_value
C_key : C_value
D_key : D_value
locals_keys_pre : ['add2globals']
Nomesis
  • 21
  • 4
  • Please don't abuse the global namespace like this. Return a `dict` or an instance of `types.SimpleNamespace` if you want a function to produce a number of "names" to be used in the caller's scope. – chepner Jul 21 '22 at 14:17
  • The best way to handle this is to stop doing everything you are doing, and invest some time into learning how to program with best practices. Using the global scope as a var dumping ground is "less than ideal", to put it very kindly. – OneMadGypsy Jul 21 '22 at 14:44
  • I agree with the comments and this is a very special case where I need to do this. Its for process automation. When I would like to save a certain state of the process and preserve the local variables for debugging. So, I dump would like to dump them in global namespace and filter/save them. Then Reload them for a debussing session. In that case, what bother/better approach can be taken? – Nomesis Jul 21 '22 at 15:09

0 Answers0