Global variables are the one that are defined and declared outside a function and we need to use them inside a function.
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python - Sample - python code :
# This function uses global variable s
def f():
print s
# Global scope
s = "I love Wikitechy"
f()click below button to copy the code. By Python tutorial team
python tutorial - Output :
I love WikitechyIf a variable with same name is defined inside the scope of function as well then it will print the value given inside the function only and not the global value.
python - Sample - python code :
# This function has a variable with
# name same as s.
def f():
s = "Me too."
print s
# Global scope
s = "I love Wikitechy"
f()
print sclick below button to copy the code. By Python tutorial team
python tutorial - Output :
Me too.
I love Wikitechy.The variable s is defined as the string “I hate spam”, before we call the function f(). The only statement in f() is the “print s” statement. As there is no local s, the value from the global s will be used.
The question is, what will happen, if we change the value of s inside of the function f()? Will it affect the global s as well? We test it in the following piece of code:
python - Sample - python code :
def f():
print s
# This program will NOT show error
# if we comment below line.
s = "Me too."
print s
# Global scope
s = "I love Wikitechy"
f()
print sclick below button to copy the code. By Python tutorial team
python tutorial - Output :
Line 2: undefined: Error: local variable 's' referenced before assignmentTo make the above program work, we need to use “global” keyword. We only need to use global keyword in a function if we want to do assignments / change them. global is not needed for printing and accessing. Why? Python “assumes” that we want a local variable due to the assignment to s inside of f(), so the first print statement throws this error message. Any variable which is changed or created inside of a function is local, if it hasn’t been declared as a global variable. To tell Python, that we want to use the global variable, we have to use the keyword “global”, as can be seen in the following example:
python - Sample - python code :
# This function modifies global variable 's'
def f():
global s
print s
s = "Look for Wikitechy Python Section"
print s
# Global Scope
s = "Python is great!"
f()
print sclick below button to copy the code. By Python tutorial team
Now there is no ambiguity.
python tutorial - Output :
Python is great!
Look for Wikitechy Python Section.
Look for Wikitechy Python Section.Example
a = 1
# Uses global because there is no local 'a'
def f():
print 'Inside f() : ', a
# Variable 'a' is redefined as a local
def g():
a = 2
print 'Inside g() : ',a
# Uses global keyword to modify global 'a'
def h():
global a
a = 3
print 'Inside h() : ',a
# Global scope
print 'global : ',a
f()
print 'global : ',a
g()
print 'global : ',a
h()
print 'global : ',aclick below button to copy the code. By Python tutorial team
python tutorial - Output :
global : 1
Inside f() : 1
global : 1
Inside g() : 2
global : 1
Inside h() :
global : 3