- How To Print A Variable’s Name In Python
- How to print a variable’s name in Python
- Using the print() function
- Using f-str feature
- Using the enum module
- Summary
- Python print var name
- # Table of Contents
- # Print a variable's name in Python
- # Print a variable's name using globals()
- # Having multiple variables with the same value
- # Objects are stored at a different location in memory
- # Print a variable's name using locals()
- # The globals() dictionary vs the locals() dictionary
- # Print a variable's name by storing it in a dictionary
- # Additional Resources
How To Print A Variable’s Name In Python
For easy control of programs, developers may need to print a variable’s name in Python. Fortunately, Python comes up with many built-in features that help you do this job. Today, we will go together to learn all the ways to print out the variable name on the screen. Let’s get started!
How to print a variable’s name in Python
Below are the easiest ways to print a variable’s name in Python:
Using the print() function
The most common way is that you put the variable’s name as a string and then use the function print() to print it out. The string name of the variable will be right next to the value that you want to print.
In other words, the command you use is:
print("[variable] "
or''
to describe it as a string. The other parameter is just the variable name to print its value.See the sample below:
"># Variable name is "varName", value is "learnshareit.com" varName = "learnshareit.com" print("varName = ", varName)Of course, the value is not necessary for string . It can be any data type, such as int , float , list, etc.
# Variable as an int varInt = 1 print("varInt = ", varInt) # Variable as a float varFlt = 1.0 print("varFlt = ", varFlt) # Variable as a list varLst = [6, 3.5, "string"] print("varLst = ", varLst)varInt = 1 varFlt = 1.0 varLst = [6, 3.5, 'string']
Using f-str feature
Another way is to use the f-str feature in Python. You combine this feature with the print() function to print a variable’s name in Python. Here is the command you can use”:
As you see, you just need to write the variable once in the <> . The output will include both the variable’s name and value.
See how you write the code here:
varName = "learnshareit.com" # Using the f-str feature print(f'')Of course, there is no limitation for the data type of the variable. The value can be string , float , int , list , and so on!
# Variable as an int varInt = 1 print(f'') # Variable as a float varFlt = 1.0 print(f'') # Variable as a list varLst = [6, 3.5, "string"] print(f'')varInt = 1 varFlt = 1.0 varLst = [6, 3.5, 'string']
Using the enum module
You can also use the enum module to print a variable’s name in Python. This module includes the feature Enum that helps you do this job. Make sure that you import it in the beginning of your Python program using the following command:
You create your variables and assign values to them in the following commands:
class Type(Enum): [variable] = [value] [variable] = [value] .
The class Type(Enum) allows you to store many different variables. Each variable will have its own value. There is no limitation to the data type you can use.
To print the variable’s name, you will combine the method Type.[variable].[parameter] with the print() function.
The parameter can be a name or a value, depending on what you want to print out. The sample commands are like so:
To print the name of the variable, write:
To print the value of the variable, write:
from enum import Enum # Create the class Type(Enum) to store many variables class Type(Enum): varName = "learnshareit.net" varInt = 1 # Print the name and value of the variables print(Type.varName.name, "=", Type.varName.value) print(Type.varInt.name, "=", Type.varInt.value)varName = learnshareit.net varInt = 1
Summary
Above are the top ways to print a variable’s name in Python. Overall, using the print() function is the easiest way. But the other 2 are also good to refer to. You will be the one who decides the way that is the most convenient for your Python programming!
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Python print var name
Last updated: Feb 21, 2023
Reading time · 6 min# Table of Contents
# Print a variable's name in Python
To print a variable's name:
- Use a formatted string literal to get the variable's name and value.
- Split the string on the equal sign and get the variable's name.
- Use the print() function to print the variable's name.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' result = f'site=>' print(result) # 👉️ site='bobbyhadz.com' # ✅ print variable name using f-string variable_name = f'site=>'.split('=')[0] print(variable_name) # 👉️ 'site'
We used a formatted string literal to get a variable's name as a string.
As shown in the code sample, the same approach can be used to print a variable's name and value.
Formatted string literals (f-strings) let us include expressions inside of a string by prefixing the string with f .
Copied!var1 = 'bobby' var2 = 'hadz' result = f'var1>var2>' print(result) # 👉️ bobbyhadz
Make sure to wrap expressions in curly braces - .
Formatted string literals also enable us to use the format specification mini-language in expression blocks.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' result = f'site=>' print(result) # 👉️ site='bobbyhadz.com'
The equal sign after the variable is used for debugging and returns the variable's name and its value.
The expression expands to:
- The text before the equal sign.
- An equal sign.
- The result of calling the repr() function with the evaluated expression.
To get only the variable name, we have to split the string on the equal sign and return the first list item.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' variable_name = f'site=>'.split('=')[0] print(variable_name) # 👉️ 'site'
The str.split() method splits the string into a list of substrings using a delimiter.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' result = f'site=>' print(result) # 👉️ site='bobbyhadz.com' print(result.split('=')) # 👉️ ['site', "'bobbyhadz.com'"]
The method takes the following 2 parameters:
Name | Description |
---|---|
separator | Split the string into substrings on each occurrence of the separator |
maxsplit | At most maxsplit splits are done (optional) |
You can use the str.join() method if you need to join the variable's name and value with a different separator.
Copied!website = 'bobbyhadz' result = ':'.join(f'website=>'.split('=')) print(result) # 👉️ website:'bobbyhadz'
The str.join method takes an iterable as an argument and returns a string which is the concatenation of the strings in the iterable.
Alternatively, you can use the globals() function.
# Print a variable's name using globals()
This is a three-step process:
- Use the globals() function to get a dictionary that implements the current module namespace.
- Iterate over the dictionary to get the matching variable's name.
- Use the print() function to print the variable's name.
Copied!def get_var_name(variable): globals_dict = globals() return [ var_name for var_name in globals_dict if globals_dict[var_name] is variable ] site = 'bobbyhadz.com' print(get_var_name(site)) # 👉️ ['site'] print(get_var_name(site)[0]) # 👉️ 'site'
You can tweak the function if you also need to get the value.
Copied!def get_variable_name_value(variable): globals_dict = globals() return [ f'var_name>=globals_dict[var_name]>' for var_name in globals_dict if globals_dict[var_name] is variable ] website = 'bobbyhadz.com' # 👇️ ['website=bobbyhadz.com'] print(get_variable_name_value(website)) # 👇️ website=bobbyhadz.com print(get_variable_name_value(website)[0])
The globals function returns a dictionary that implements the current module namespace.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' globals_dict = globals() # , '__spec__': None, '__annotations__': <>, '__builtins__': , '__file__': '/home/borislav/Desktop/bobbyhadz_python/main.py', '__cached__': None, 'globals_dict': > print(globals_dict)
We used a list comprehension to iterate over the dictionary.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' globals_dict = globals() result = [key for key in globals_dict] # ['__name__', '__doc__', '__package__', '__loader__', '__spec__', '__annotations__', '__builtins__', '__file__', '__cached__', 'site', 'globals_dict'] print(result)
List comprehensions are used to perform some operation for every element or select a subset of elements that meet a condition.
On each iteration, we check if the identity of the provided variable matches the identity of the current dictionary value.
Copied!def get_var_name(variable): globals_dict = globals() return [var_name for var_name in globals_dict if globals_dict[var_name] is variable] site = 'bobbyhadz.com' print(get_var_name(site)) # 👉️ ['site'] print(get_var_name(site)[0]) # 👉️ 'site'
The matching variable names (keys in the dictionary) get returned as a list.
# Having multiple variables with the same value
If you have multiple variables with the same value, pointing to the same location in memory, the list would contain multiple variable names.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' domain = 'bobbyhadz.com' def get_var_name(variable): globals_dict = globals() return [ var_name for var_name in globals_dict if globals_dict[var_name] is variable ] print(get_var_name(site)) # 👉️ ['site', 'domain']
There are 2 variables with the same value and they point to the same location in memory, so the list returns 2 variable names.
# Objects are stored at a different location in memory
If you pass non-primitive objects to the function, you'd get a list containing only one item because the objects are stored in different locations in memory.
Copied!class Employee(): pass alice = Employee() bobby = Employee() def get_var_name(variable): globals_dict = globals() return [ var_name for var_name in globals_dict if globals_dict[var_name] is variable ] print(get_var_name(alice)) # 👉️ ['alice']
The two class instances are stored in different locations in memory, so the get_var_name() function returns a list containing a single variable name.
# Print a variable's name using locals()
You can also use the locals() dictionary to print a variable's names.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' print(locals().items()) variable_name = [ key for key, value in locals().items() if value == 'bobbyhadz.com' ] print(variable_name) # 👉️ ['site'] print(variable_name[0]) # 👉️ site
The locals() function returns a dictionary that contains the current scope's local variables.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz.com' # , '__spec__': None, '__annotations__': <>, # '__builtins__': , '__file__': '/home/borislav/Desktop/bobbyhadz_python/main.py', '__cached__': None> print(locals())
We used a list comprehension to print the variable that has a value of bobbyhadz.com .
# The globals() dictionary vs the locals() dictionary
This approach is similar to using the globals() dictionary, however, the locals() function returns a dictionary that contains the current scope's local variables, whereas the globals dictionary contains the current module's namespace.
Here is an example that demonstrates the difference between the globals() and the locals() dictionaries.
Copied!global_site = 'bobbyhadz.com' def print_variable_name(): local_site = 'bobbyhadz.com' local_name = [ key for key, value in locals().items() if value == 'bobbyhadz.com' ] print(f'local_name local_name>') # ----------------------------------------------- globals_dict = globals() global_name = [ var_name for var_name in globals_dict if globals_dict[var_name] == 'bobbyhadz.com' ] print(f'global_name global_name>') # local_name ['local_site'] # global_name ['global_site'] print_variable_name()
The function uses the locals() and globals() dictionaries to print the name of the variable that has a value of bobbyhadz.com .
There is a variable with the specified value in the global and local scopes.
The locals() dictionary prints the name of the local variable, whereas the globals() dictionary prints the name of the global variable.
# Print a variable's name by storing it in a dictionary
An alternative approach is to store the variable's name as a value in a dictionary.
Copied!my_dict = 'bobbyhadz': 'site', 'python': 'language', > print(my_dict['bobbyhadz']) # 👉️ site print(my_dict['python']) # 👉️ language
The code sample stores the values of the variables as keys in the dictionary and the names of the variables as values.
Here is an easier way to visualize this.
Copied!site = 'bobbyhadz' language = 'python' # ---------------------------------- my_dict = 'bobbyhadz': 'site', 'python': 'language', > print(my_dict['bobbyhadz']) # 👉️ site print(my_dict['python']) # 👉️ language
The approach is similar to a reverse mapping.
By swapping the dictionary's keys and values, we can access variable names by values.
You can define a reusable function to make it more intuitive.
Copied!def get_name(dictionary, value): return dictionary[value] my_dict = 'bobbyhadz': 'site', 'python': 'language', > print(get_name(my_dict, 'bobbyhadz')) # 👉️ site print(get_name(my_dict, 'python')) # 👉️ language
The function takes a dictionary and a value as parameters and returns the corresponding name.
# Additional Resources
You can learn more about the related topics by checking out the following tutorials:
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