inspect module

New in version 2.1.

Source code: Lib/inspect.py

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Theinspect moduleprovides several useful functions to help get information about live objectssuch as modules, classes, methods, functions, tracebacks, frame objects, andcode 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 fora function, or get all the information you need to display a detailedtraceback.

Thereare four main kinds of services provided by this module: type checking, gettingsource code, inspecting classes and functions, and examining the interpreterstack.

27.13.1. Types and members¶

Thegetmembers()function retrieves the members of an object such as a class or module. Thesixteen functions whose names begin with “is” are mainly provided as convenientchoices for the second argument to getmembers().They also help you determine when you can expect to find the following specialattributes:

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 for this method	(1)
	im_func or __func__	function object containing implementation of method
	im_self or __self__	instance to which this method is bound, or None
function	__doc__	documentation string
	__name__	name with which this function was defined
	func_code	code object containing compiled function 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. Changed in version 2.2: im_class used to refer to the class that defined the method.

inspect.getmembers(object[, predicate])¶

Return all the members of an object in a list of (name, value)pairs sorted by name. If the optional predicateargument is supplied, only members for which the predicate returns a true valueare included.

Note

getmembers()does not return metaclass attributes when the argument is a class (thisbehavior is inherited from the dir() function).

inspect.getmoduleinfo(path)¶

Return a tuple of values that describe how Python will interpretthe file identified by pathif it is a module, or None if it wouldnot be identified as a module. The return tuple is (name, suffix, mode, module_type), where nameis the name of the module without the name of any enclosing package, suffix is the trailingpart of the file name (which may not be a dot-delimited extension), mode is the open() mode thatwould be used ('r' or 'rb'), and module_typeis an integer giving the type of the module. module_typewill have a value which can be compared to the constants defined in the imp module; seethe documentation for that module for more information on module types.

Changed in version 2.6: Returns a named tuple ModuleInfo(name, suffix, mode, module_type).

inspect.getmodulename(path)¶

Return the name of the module named by the file path, without includingthe names of enclosing packages. This uses the same algorithm as theinterpreter uses when searching for modules. If the name cannot be matchedaccording to the interpreter’s rules, None is returned.

inspect.ismodule(object)¶

Return true if the object is a module.

inspect.isclass(object)¶

Return true if the object is a class, whether built-in or createdin Python code.

inspect.ismethod(object)¶

Return true if the object is a bound method written in Python.

inspect.isfunction(object)¶

Return true if the object is a Python function, which includesfunctions created by a lambda expression.

inspect.isgeneratorfunction(object)¶

Return true if the object is a Python generator function.

New in version 2.6.

inspect.isgenerator(object)¶

Return true if the object is a generator.

New in version 2.6.

inspect.istraceback(object)¶

Return true if the object is a traceback.

inspect.isframe(object)¶

Return true if the object is a frame.

inspect.iscode(object)¶

Return true if the object is a code.

inspect.isbuiltin(object)¶

Return true if the object is a built-in function or a boundbuilt-in method.

inspect.isroutine(object)¶

Return true if the object is a user-defined or built-in functionor method.

inspect.isabstract(object)¶

Return true if the object is an abstract base class.

New in version 2.6.

inspect.ismethoddescriptor(object)¶

Return true if the object is a method descriptor, but not if ismethod(),isclass(),isfunction()or 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 __get__ attribute but not a __set__ attribute, but beyond that the set of attributes varies. __name__ is usually sensible, and __doc__ often is.

Methods implemented via descriptors that also pass one of theother tests return false from the ismethoddescriptor()test, simply because the other tests promise more – you can, e.g., count onhaving the im_func attribute(etc) when an object passes ismethod().

inspect.isdatadescriptor(object)¶

Return true if the object is a data descriptor.

Data descriptors have both a __get__ and a __set__ attribute.Examples are properties (defined in Python), getsets, and members. The lattertwo are defined in C and there are more specific tests available for thosetypes, which is robust across Python implementations. Typically, datadescriptors will also have __name__ and __doc__ attributes (properties, getsets, and membershave both of these attributes), but this is not guaranteed.

New in version 2.3.

inspect.isgetsetdescriptor(object)¶

Return true if the object is a getset descriptor.

CPython implementation detail: getsets are attributesdefined in extension modules via PyGetSetDef structures.For Python implementations without such types, this method will always return False.

New in version 2.5.

inspect.ismemberdescriptor(object)¶

Return true if the object is a member descriptor.

CPython implementation detail: Member descriptors areattributes defined in extension modules via PyMemberDefstructures. For Python implementations without such types, this method willalways return False.

New in version 2.5.

27.13.2. Retrieving source code¶

inspect.getdoc(object)¶

Get the documentation string for an object, cleaned up with cleandoc().

inspect.getcomments(object)¶

Return in a single string any lines of comments immediately precedingthe object’s source code (for a class, function, or method), or at the top ofthe Python source file (if the object is a module).

inspect.getfile(object)¶

Return the name of the (text or binary) file in which an objectwas defined. This will fail with a TypeErrorif the object is a built-in module, class, or function.

inspect.getmodule(object)¶

Try to guess which module an object was defined in.

inspect.getsourcefile(object)¶

Return the name of the Python source file in which an object wasdefined. This will fail with a TypeErrorif the object is a built-in module, class, or function.

inspect.getsourcelines(object)¶

Return a list of source lines and starting line number for anobject. The argument may be a module, class, method, function, traceback,frame, or code object. The source code is returned as a list of the linescorresponding to the object and the line number indicates where in the originalsource file the first line of code was found. An IOErroris raised if the source code cannot be retrieved.

inspect.getsource(object)¶

Return the text of the source code for an object. The argument maybe a module, class, method, function, traceback, frame, or code object. Thesource code is returned as a single string. An IOErroris raised if the source code cannot be retrieved.

inspect.cleandoc(doc)¶

Clean up indentation from docstrings that are indented to line upwith blocks of code. Any whitespace that can be uniformly removed from thesecond line onwards is removed. Also, all tabs are expanded to spaces.

New in version 2.6.

27.13.3. Classes and functions¶

inspect.getclasstree(classes[, unique])¶

Arrange the given list of classes into a hierarchy of nestedlists. Where a nested list appears, it contains classes derived from the classwhose entry immediately precedes the list. Each entry is a 2-tuple containing aclass and a tuple of its base classes. If the unique argument is true, exactly one entryappears in the returned structure for each class in the given list. Otherwise,classes using multiple inheritance and their descendants will appear multipletimes.

inspect.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). argsis a list of the argument names (it may contain nested lists). varargs and keywords are the names ofthe * and ** arguments or None. defaults is a tuple ofdefault argument values or None if there are no default arguments; if thistuple has nelements, they correspond to the last nelements listed in args.

Changed in version 2.6: Returns a named tuple ArgSpec(args, varargs, keywords, defaults).

inspect.getargvalues(frame)¶

Get information about arguments passed into a particular frame. Atuple of four things is returned: (args, varargs, keywords, locals). argsis a list of the argument names (it may contain nested lists). varargs and keywords are the names ofthe * and ** arguments or None. locals is the localsdictionary of the given frame.

Changed in version 2.6: Returns a named tuple ArgInfo(args, varargs, keywords, locals).

inspect.formatargspec(args[, varargs,varkw, defaults, formatarg, formatvarargs, formatvarkw, formatvalue, join])¶

Format a pretty argument spec from the four values returned by getargspec().The format* arguments are the corresponding optional formatting functions thatare called to turn names and values into strings.

inspect.formatargvalues(args[, varargs,varkw, locals, formatarg, formatvarargs, formatvarkw, formatvalue, join])¶

Format a pretty argument spec from the four values returned by getargvalues().The format* arguments are the corresponding optional formatting functions thatare called to turn names and values into strings.

inspect.getmro(cls)¶

Return a tuple of class cls’s base classes, including cls, inmethod resolution order. No class appears more than once in this tuple. Notethat the method resolution order depends on cls’s type. Unless a very peculiaruser-defined metatype is in use, cls will be the first element of the tuple.

inspect.getcallargs(func[, *args][,**kwds])¶

Bind the argsand kwds to theargument names of the Python function or method func, as if it was called with them. Forbound methods, bind also the first argument (typically named self) to the associated instance. A dict is returned, mapping theargument names (including the names of the * and ** arguments, ifany) to their values from argsand kwds. Incase of invoking funcincorrectly, i.e. whenever func(*args, **kwds) would raise an exception because ofincompatible signature, an exception of the same type and the same or similarmessage 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)

New in version 2.7.

27.13.4. The interpreter stack¶

Whenthe following functions return “frame records,” each record is a tuple of sixitems: the frame object, the filename, the line number of the current line, thefunction name, a list of lines of context from the source code, and the indexof the current line within that list.

Note

Keepingreferences to frame objects, as found in the first element of the frame recordsthese functions return, can cause your program to create reference cycles. Oncea reference cycle has been created, the lifespan of all objects which can beaccessed from the objects which form the cycle can become much longer even ifPython’s optional cycle detector is enabled. If such cycles must be created, itis important to ensure they are explicitly broken to avoid the delayeddestruction of objects and increased memory consumption which occurs.

Thoughthe cycle detector will catch these, destruction of the frames (and localvariables) can be made deterministic by removing the cycle in a finally clause.This is also important if the cycle detector was disabled when Python wascompiled or using gc.disable().For example:

def handle_stackframe_without_leak():

    frame = inspect.currentframe()

    try:

        # do something with the frame

    finally:

        del frame

Theoptional contextargument supported by most of these functions specifies the number of lines ofcontext to return, which are centered around the current line.

inspect.getframeinfo(frame[, context])¶

Get information about a frame or traceback object. A 5-tuple isreturned, the last five elements of the frame’s frame record.

Changed in version 2.6: Returns a named tuple Traceback(filename, lineno, function, code_context, index).

inspect.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 inthe returned list represents frame;the last entry represents the outermost call on frame‘s stack.

inspect.getinnerframes(traceback[, context])¶

Get a list of frame records for a traceback’s frame and all innerframes. These frames represent calls made as a consequence of frame. The first entry inthe list represents traceback;the last entry represents where the exception was raised.

inspect.currentframe()¶

Return the frame object for the caller’s stack frame.

CPython implementation detail: This function relies onPython stack frame support in the interpreter, which isn’t guaranteed to existin all implementations of Python. If running in an implementation withoutPython stack frame support this function returns None.

inspect.stack([context])¶

Return a list of frame records for the caller’s stack. The firstentry in the returned list represents the caller; the last entry represents theoutermost call on the stack.

inspect.trace([context])¶

Return a list of frame records for the stack between the currentframe and the frame in which an exception currently being handled was raisedin. The first entry in the list represents the caller; the last entryrepresents where the exception was raised.