| :mod:`inspect` --- Inspect live objects |
| ======================================= |
| |
| .. module:: inspect |
| :synopsis: Extract information and source code from live objects. |
| .. moduleauthor:: Ka-Ping Yee <ping@lfw.org> |
| .. sectionauthor:: Ka-Ping Yee <ping@lfw.org> |
| |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.1 |
| |
| **Source code:** :source:`Lib/inspect.py` |
| |
| -------------- |
| |
| The :mod:`inspect` module provides several useful functions to help get |
| information about live objects such as modules, classes, methods, functions, |
| tracebacks, frame objects, and code objects. For example, it can help you |
| examine the contents of a class, retrieve the source code of a method, extract |
| and format the argument list for a function, or get all the information you need |
| to display a detailed traceback. |
| |
| There are four main kinds of services provided by this module: type checking, |
| getting source code, inspecting classes and functions, and examining the |
| interpreter stack. |
| |
| |
| .. _inspect-types: |
| |
| Types and members |
| ----------------- |
| |
| The :func:`getmembers` function retrieves the members of an object such as a |
| class or module. The sixteen functions whose names begin with "is" are mainly |
| provided as convenient choices for the second argument to :func:`getmembers`. |
| They also help you determine when you can expect to find the following special |
| attributes: |
| |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | Type | Attribute | Description | Notes | |
| +===========+=================+===========================+=======+ |
| | module | __doc__ | documentation string | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | __file__ | filename (missing for | | |
| | | | built-in modules) | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | class | __doc__ | documentation string | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | __module__ | name of module in which | | |
| | | | this class was defined | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | method | __doc__ | documentation string | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | __name__ | name with which this | | |
| | | | method was defined | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | im_class | class object that asked | \(1) | |
| | | | for this method | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | im_func or | function object | | |
| | | __func__ | containing implementation | | |
| | | | of method | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | im_self or | instance to which this | | |
| | | __self__ | method is bound, or | | |
| | | | ``None`` | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | function | __doc__ | documentation string | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | __name__ | name with which this | | |
| | | | function was defined | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | func_code | code object containing | | |
| | | | compiled function | | |
| | | | :term:`bytecode` | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | func_defaults | tuple of any default | | |
| | | | values for arguments | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | func_doc | (same as __doc__) | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | func_globals | global namespace in which | | |
| | | | this function was defined | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | func_name | (same as __name__) | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | generator | __iter__ | defined to support | | |
| | | | iteration over container | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | close | raises new GeneratorExit | | |
| | | | exception inside the | | |
| | | | generator to terminate | | |
| | | | the iteration | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | gi_code | code object | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | gi_frame | frame object or possibly | | |
| | | | None once the generator | | |
| | | | has been exhausted | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | gi_running | set to 1 when generator | | |
| | | | is executing, 0 otherwise | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | next | return the next item from | | |
| | | | the container | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | send | resumes the generator and | | |
| | | | "sends" a value that | | |
| | | | becomes the result of the | | |
| | | | current yield-expression | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | throw | used to raise an | | |
| | | | exception inside the | | |
| | | | generator | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | traceback | tb_frame | frame object at this | | |
| | | | level | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | tb_lasti | index of last attempted | | |
| | | | instruction in bytecode | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | tb_lineno | current line number in | | |
| | | | Python source code | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | tb_next | next inner traceback | | |
| | | | object (called by this | | |
| | | | level) | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | frame | f_back | next outer frame object | | |
| | | | (this frame's caller) | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_builtins | builtins namespace seen | | |
| | | | by this frame | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_code | code object being | | |
| | | | executed in this frame | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_exc_traceback | traceback if raised in | | |
| | | | this frame, or ``None`` | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_exc_type | exception type if raised | | |
| | | | in this frame, or | | |
| | | | ``None`` | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_exc_value | exception value if raised | | |
| | | | in this frame, or | | |
| | | | ``None`` | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_globals | global namespace seen by | | |
| | | | this frame | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_lasti | index of last attempted | | |
| | | | instruction in bytecode | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_lineno | current line number in | | |
| | | | Python source code | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_locals | local namespace seen by | | |
| | | | this frame | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_restricted | 0 or 1 if frame is in | | |
| | | | restricted execution mode | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | f_trace | tracing function for this | | |
| | | | frame, or ``None`` | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | code | co_argcount | number of arguments (not | | |
| | | | including \* or \*\* | | |
| | | | args) | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_code | string of raw compiled | | |
| | | | bytecode | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_consts | tuple of constants used | | |
| | | | in the bytecode | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_filename | name of file in which | | |
| | | | this code object was | | |
| | | | created | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_firstlineno | number of first line in | | |
| | | | Python source code | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_flags | bitmap: 1=optimized ``|`` | | |
| | | | 2=newlocals ``|`` 4=\*arg | | |
| | | | ``|`` 8=\*\*arg | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_lnotab | encoded mapping of line | | |
| | | | numbers to bytecode | | |
| | | | indices | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_name | name with which this code | | |
| | | | object was defined | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_names | tuple of names of local | | |
| | | | variables | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_nlocals | number of local variables | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_stacksize | virtual machine stack | | |
| | | | space required | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | co_varnames | tuple of names of | | |
| | | | arguments and local | | |
| | | | variables | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | builtin | __doc__ | documentation string | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | __name__ | original name of this | | |
| | | | function or method | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| | | __self__ | instance to which a | | |
| | | | method is bound, or | | |
| | | | ``None`` | | |
| +-----------+-----------------+---------------------------+-------+ |
| |
| Note: |
| |
| (1) |
| .. versionchanged:: 2.2 |
| :attr:`im_class` used to refer to the class that defined the method. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getmembers(object[, predicate]) |
| |
| Return all the members of an object in a list of (name, value) pairs sorted by |
| name. If the optional *predicate* argument is supplied, only members for which |
| the predicate returns a true value are included. |
| |
| .. note:: |
| |
| :func:`getmembers` does not return metaclass attributes when the argument |
| is a class (this behavior is inherited from the :func:`dir` function). |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getmoduleinfo(path) |
| |
| Return a tuple of values that describe how Python will interpret the file |
| identified by *path* if it is a module, or ``None`` if it would not be |
| identified as a module. The return tuple is ``(name, suffix, mode, |
| module_type)``, where *name* is the name of the module without the name of |
| any enclosing package, *suffix* is the trailing part of the file name (which |
| may not be a dot-delimited extension), *mode* is the :func:`open` mode that |
| would be used (``'r'`` or ``'rb'``), and *module_type* is an integer giving |
| the type of the module. *module_type* will have a value which can be |
| compared to the constants defined in the :mod:`imp` module; see the |
| documentation for that module for more information on module types. |
| |
| .. versionchanged:: 2.6 |
| Returns a :term:`named tuple` ``ModuleInfo(name, suffix, mode, |
| module_type)``. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getmodulename(path) |
| |
| Return the name of the module named by the file *path*, without including the |
| names of enclosing packages. This uses the same algorithm as the interpreter |
| uses when searching for modules. If the name cannot be matched according to the |
| interpreter's rules, ``None`` is returned. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: ismodule(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a module. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isclass(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a class, whether built-in or created in Python |
| code. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: ismethod(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a bound method written in Python. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isfunction(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a Python function, which includes functions |
| created by a :term:`lambda` expression. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isgeneratorfunction(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a Python generator function. |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.6 |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isgenerator(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a generator. |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.6 |
| |
| |
| .. function:: istraceback(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a traceback. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isframe(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a frame. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: iscode(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a code. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isbuiltin(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a built-in function or a bound built-in method. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isroutine(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a user-defined or built-in function or method. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isabstract(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is an abstract base class. |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.6 |
| |
| |
| .. function:: ismethoddescriptor(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a method descriptor, but not if |
| :func:`ismethod`, :func:`isclass`, :func:`isfunction` or :func:`isbuiltin` |
| are true. |
| |
| This is new as of Python 2.2, and, for example, is true of |
| ``int.__add__``. An object passing this test has a :attr:`__get__` attribute |
| but not a :attr:`__set__` attribute, but beyond that the set of attributes |
| varies. :attr:`__name__` is usually sensible, and :attr:`__doc__` often is. |
| |
| Methods implemented via descriptors that also pass one of the other tests |
| return false from the :func:`ismethoddescriptor` test, simply because the |
| other tests promise more -- you can, e.g., count on having the |
| :attr:`im_func` attribute (etc) when an object passes :func:`ismethod`. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isdatadescriptor(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a data descriptor. |
| |
| Data descriptors have both a :attr:`__get__` and a :attr:`__set__` attribute. |
| Examples are properties (defined in Python), getsets, and members. The |
| latter two are defined in C and there are more specific tests available for |
| those types, which is robust across Python implementations. Typically, data |
| descriptors will also have :attr:`__name__` and :attr:`__doc__` attributes |
| (properties, getsets, and members have both of these attributes), but this is |
| not guaranteed. |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.3 |
| |
| |
| .. function:: isgetsetdescriptor(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a getset descriptor. |
| |
| .. impl-detail:: |
| |
| getsets are attributes defined in extension modules via |
| :c:type:`PyGetSetDef` structures. For Python implementations without such |
| types, this method will always return ``False``. |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.5 |
| |
| |
| .. function:: ismemberdescriptor(object) |
| |
| Return true if the object is a member descriptor. |
| |
| .. impl-detail:: |
| |
| Member descriptors are attributes defined in extension modules via |
| :c:type:`PyMemberDef` structures. For Python implementations without such |
| types, this method will always return ``False``. |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.5 |
| |
| |
| .. _inspect-source: |
| |
| Retrieving source code |
| ---------------------- |
| |
| .. function:: getdoc(object) |
| |
| Get the documentation string for an object, cleaned up with :func:`cleandoc`. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getcomments(object) |
| |
| Return in a single string any lines of comments immediately preceding the |
| object's source code (for a class, function, or method), or at the top of the |
| Python source file (if the object is a module). |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getfile(object) |
| |
| Return the name of the (text or binary) file in which an object was defined. |
| This will fail with a :exc:`TypeError` if the object is a built-in module, |
| class, or function. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getmodule(object) |
| |
| Try to guess which module an object was defined in. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getsourcefile(object) |
| |
| Return the name of the Python source file in which an object was defined. This |
| will fail with a :exc:`TypeError` if the object is a built-in module, class, or |
| function. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getsourcelines(object) |
| |
| Return a list of source lines and starting line number for an object. The |
| argument may be a module, class, method, function, traceback, frame, or code |
| object. The source code is returned as a list of the lines corresponding to the |
| object and the line number indicates where in the original source file the first |
| line of code was found. An :exc:`IOError` is raised if the source code cannot |
| be retrieved. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getsource(object) |
| |
| Return the text of the source code for an object. The argument may be a module, |
| class, method, function, traceback, frame, or code object. The source code is |
| returned as a single string. An :exc:`IOError` is raised if the source code |
| cannot be retrieved. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: cleandoc(doc) |
| |
| Clean up indentation from docstrings that are indented to line up with blocks |
| of code. Any whitespace that can be uniformly removed from the second line |
| onwards is removed. Also, all tabs are expanded to spaces. |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.6 |
| |
| |
| .. _inspect-classes-functions: |
| |
| Classes and functions |
| --------------------- |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getclasstree(classes[, unique]) |
| |
| Arrange the given list of classes into a hierarchy of nested lists. Where a |
| nested list appears, it contains classes derived from the class whose entry |
| immediately precedes the list. Each entry is a 2-tuple containing a class and a |
| tuple of its base classes. If the *unique* argument is true, exactly one entry |
| appears in the returned structure for each class in the given list. Otherwise, |
| classes using multiple inheritance and their descendants will appear multiple |
| times. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getargspec(func) |
| |
| Get the names and default values of a Python function's arguments. A tuple of |
| four things is returned: ``(args, varargs, keywords, defaults)``. *args* is a |
| list of the argument names (it may contain nested lists). *varargs* and |
| *keywords* are the names of the ``*`` and ``**`` arguments or |
| ``None``. *defaults* is a tuple of default argument values or None if there |
| are no default arguments; if this tuple has *n* elements, they correspond to |
| the last *n* elements listed in *args*. |
| |
| .. versionchanged:: 2.6 |
| Returns a :term:`named tuple` ``ArgSpec(args, varargs, keywords, |
| defaults)``. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getargvalues(frame) |
| |
| Get information about arguments passed into a particular frame. A tuple of |
| four things is returned: ``(args, varargs, keywords, locals)``. *args* is a |
| list of the argument names (it may contain nested lists). *varargs* and |
| *keywords* are the names of the ``*`` and ``**`` arguments or ``None``. |
| *locals* is the locals dictionary of the given frame. |
| |
| .. versionchanged:: 2.6 |
| Returns a :term:`named tuple` ``ArgInfo(args, varargs, keywords, |
| locals)``. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: formatargspec(args[, varargs, varkw, defaults, formatarg, formatvarargs, formatvarkw, formatvalue, join]) |
| |
| Format a pretty argument spec from the four values returned by |
| :func:`getargspec`. The format\* arguments are the corresponding optional |
| formatting functions that are called to turn names and values into strings. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: formatargvalues(args[, varargs, varkw, locals, formatarg, formatvarargs, formatvarkw, formatvalue, join]) |
| |
| Format a pretty argument spec from the four values returned by |
| :func:`getargvalues`. The format\* arguments are the corresponding optional |
| formatting functions that are called to turn names and values into strings. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getmro(cls) |
| |
| Return a tuple of class cls's base classes, including cls, in method resolution |
| order. No class appears more than once in this tuple. Note that the method |
| resolution order depends on cls's type. Unless a very peculiar user-defined |
| metatype is in use, cls will be the first element of the tuple. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getcallargs(func[, *args][, **kwds]) |
| |
| Bind the *args* and *kwds* to the argument names of the Python function or |
| method *func*, as if it was called with them. For bound methods, bind also the |
| first argument (typically named ``self``) to the associated instance. A dict |
| is returned, mapping the argument names (including the names of the ``*`` and |
| ``**`` arguments, if any) to their values from *args* and *kwds*. In case of |
| invoking *func* incorrectly, i.e. whenever ``func(*args, **kwds)`` would raise |
| an exception because of incompatible signature, an exception of the same type |
| and the same or similar message is raised. For example:: |
| |
| >>> from inspect import getcallargs |
| >>> def f(a, b=1, *pos, **named): |
| ... pass |
| >>> getcallargs(f, 1, 2, 3) |
| {'a': 1, 'named': {}, 'b': 2, 'pos': (3,)} |
| >>> getcallargs(f, a=2, x=4) |
| {'a': 2, 'named': {'x': 4}, 'b': 1, 'pos': ()} |
| >>> getcallargs(f) |
| Traceback (most recent call last): |
| ... |
| TypeError: f() takes at least 1 argument (0 given) |
| |
| .. versionadded:: 2.7 |
| |
| |
| .. _inspect-stack: |
| |
| The interpreter stack |
| --------------------- |
| |
| When the following functions return "frame records," each record is a tuple of |
| six items: the frame object, the filename, the line number of the current line, |
| the function name, a list of lines of context from the source code, and the |
| index of the current line within that list. |
| |
| .. note:: |
| |
| Keeping references to frame objects, as found in the first element of the frame |
| records these functions return, can cause your program to create reference |
| cycles. Once a reference cycle has been created, the lifespan of all objects |
| which can be accessed from the objects which form the cycle can become much |
| longer even if Python's optional cycle detector is enabled. If such cycles must |
| be created, it is important to ensure they are explicitly broken to avoid the |
| delayed destruction of objects and increased memory consumption which occurs. |
| |
| Though the cycle detector will catch these, destruction of the frames (and local |
| variables) can be made deterministic by removing the cycle in a |
| :keyword:`finally` clause. This is also important if the cycle detector was |
| disabled when Python was compiled or using :func:`gc.disable`. For example:: |
| |
| def handle_stackframe_without_leak(): |
| frame = inspect.currentframe() |
| try: |
| # do something with the frame |
| finally: |
| del frame |
| |
| The optional *context* argument supported by most of these functions specifies |
| the number of lines of context to return, which are centered around the current |
| line. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getframeinfo(frame[, context]) |
| |
| Get information about a frame or traceback object. A 5-tuple is returned, the |
| last five elements of the frame's frame record. |
| |
| .. versionchanged:: 2.6 |
| Returns a :term:`named tuple` ``Traceback(filename, lineno, function, |
| code_context, index)``. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getouterframes(frame[, context]) |
| |
| Get a list of frame records for a frame and all outer frames. These frames |
| represent the calls that lead to the creation of *frame*. The first entry in the |
| returned list represents *frame*; the last entry represents the outermost call |
| on *frame*'s stack. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: getinnerframes(traceback[, context]) |
| |
| Get a list of frame records for a traceback's frame and all inner frames. These |
| frames represent calls made as a consequence of *frame*. The first entry in the |
| list represents *traceback*; the last entry represents where the exception was |
| raised. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: currentframe() |
| |
| Return the frame object for the caller's stack frame. |
| |
| .. impl-detail:: |
| |
| This function relies on Python stack frame support in the interpreter, |
| which isn't guaranteed to exist in all implementations of Python. If |
| running in an implementation without Python stack frame support this |
| function returns ``None``. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: stack([context]) |
| |
| Return a list of frame records for the caller's stack. The first entry in the |
| returned list represents the caller; the last entry represents the outermost |
| call on the stack. |
| |
| |
| .. function:: trace([context]) |
| |
| Return a list of frame records for the stack between the current frame and the |
| frame in which an exception currently being handled was raised in. The first |
| entry in the list represents the caller; the last entry represents where the |
| exception was raised. |
| |