Demystifying Python Namespaces

Hey everyone, Welcome to the new article of Python Foundations for Beginners Series. In this article, we are going to cover a small yet very important topic Namespace. So without further ado, let's start.

In Python, a namespace is a container that holds a mapping of names to objects. It provides a way to organize and manage names in a program to avoid naming conflicts and to enable code to be modular and maintainable. Python uses namespaces to keep track of variables, functions, classes, and other objects, and it helps avoid naming collisions between different parts of a program.

There are several types of namespaces in Python, including:

1. Local Namespace: This namespace includes names that are defined within a function or a method. It is temporary and exists only during the execution of that specific function or method.

    def example_function():
        local_variable = 42
        print(local_variable)
   
    example_function()
   

   In this example, local_variable is part of the local namespace of the example_function.

2. Global Namespace: This namespace contains names defined at the top level of a script or module. It is accessible throughout the entire module.

    global_variable = 100
   
    def another_function():
        print(global_variable)
   
    another_function()
   

   Here, global_variable is part of the global namespace.

3. Built-in Namespace: This namespace includes names that are built into the Python language and are always available. Examples include functions like print() and built-in types like int and str.

    print("Hello, World!")
   

   In this case, print is part of the built-in namespace.

4. Enclosing Namespace: This namespace is specific to nested functions or classes. If a function is defined within another function, it has access to its own local namespace, the local namespace of the outer function, and the global namespace.

    def outer_function():
        outer_variable = 50
   
        def inner_function():
            print(outer_variable)
   
        inner_function()
   
    outer_function()
   

   Here, outer_variable is part of the enclosing namespace for inner_function.

I hope namespace was clear to you all. In the next article, I'll be talking about Strings so before that practice and revise all these topics coverted till now.

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