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Python globals() function

Updated on Jan 07, 2020

The globals() function returns a dictionary containing the variables defined in the global namespace. When globals() is called from a function or method, it returns the dictionary representing the global namespace of the module where the function or method is defined, not from where it is called.

Its syntax is as follows:

globals() -> dictionary

Let's take some examples:

Example 1:

module1.py

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#!/usr/bin/python3

from pprint import pprint

a = 100
b = 4

def foo():
    x = 100 # x is a local variable

pprint(globals())

Expected Output:

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{'__builtins__': <module 'builtins' (built-in)>,
'__cached__': None,
'__doc__': None,
'__file__': './module1.py',
'__loader__': <_frozen_importlib_external.SourceFileLoader object at 0x7f699cab37f0>,
'__name__': '__main__',
'__package__': None,
'__spec__': None,
'a': 100,
'b': 4,
'foo': <function foo at 0x7f699ca1e2f0>,
'pprint': <function pprint at 0x7f699ca1e6a8>}

Try it out:

from pprint import pprint

a = 100
b = 4

def foo():
    x = 100 # x is a local variable

pprint(globals())

The names which start and end with double underscores are special and are defined by the Python interpreter. The variable we have defined in the module comes at last.

Notice that the local variable x defined inside the foo() function is not included in the result. To access the local namespace use the locals() function.

Example 2:

module1.py

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#!/usr/bin/python3

from pprint import pprint

a = 100
b = 4

def foo():
    x = 100 # x is a local variable
    pprint(globals())

module2.py

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#!/usr/bin/python3

import module1

x = 100
y = 2

module1.foo()

Expected Output:

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{'__builtins__': { ... }
'__cached__': '/home/overiq/tmp/__pycache__/module1.cpython-35.pyc',
'__doc__': None,
'__file__': '/home/overiq/tmp/module1.py',
'__loader__': <_frozen_importlib_external.SourceFileLoader object at 0x7f17b12305c0>,
'__name__': 'module1',
'__package__': '',
'__spec__': ModuleSpec(name='module1', loader=<_frozen_importlib_external.SourceFileLoader object at 0x7f17b12305c0>, origin='/home/overiq/tmp/module1.py'),
'a': 100,
'b': 4,
'foo': <function foo at 0x7f17b121d488>,
'pprint': <function pprint at 0x7f17b121d730>}

In this case, globals() call is placed inside the foo() function. When the foo() function is called from module2, it prints the variables defined in the global namespace of module1.

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