Python 3.6.5 Documentation >  "inspect" — Inspect live objects

"inspect" — Inspect live objects
********************************

**Source code:** Lib/inspect.py

======================================================================

The "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.


Types and members
=================

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

+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| Type | Attribute | Description |
+=============+=====================+=============================+
| module | __doc__ | documentation string |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __file__ | filename (missing for |
| | | built-in modules) |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| class | __doc__ | documentation string |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __name__ | name with which this class |
| | | was defined |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __qualname__ | qualified name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __module__ | name of module in which |
| | | this class was defined |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| method | __doc__ | documentation string |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __name__ | name with which this method |
| | | was defined |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __qualname__ | qualified name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __func__ | function object containing |
| | | implementation of method |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __self__ | instance to which this |
| | | method is bound, or "None" |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| function | __doc__ | documentation string |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __name__ | name with which this |
| | | function was defined |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __qualname__ | qualified name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __code__ | code object containing |
| | | compiled function |
| | | *bytecode* |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __defaults__ | tuple of any default values |
| | | for positional or keyword |
| | | parameters |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __kwdefaults__ | mapping of any default |
| | | values for keyword-only |
| | | parameters |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __globals__ | global namespace in which |
| | | this function was defined |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __annotations__ | mapping of parameters names |
| | | to annotations; ""return"" |
| | | key is reserved for return |
| | | annotations. |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| 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_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 keyword only |
| | | arguments, * or ** args) |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | co_code | string of raw compiled |
| | | bytecode |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | co_cellvars | tuple of names of cell |
| | | variables (referenced by |
| | | containing scopes) |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | 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 of "CO_*" flags, |
| | | read more here |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | co_lnotab | encoded mapping of line |
| | | numbers to bytecode indices |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | co_freevars | tuple of names of free |
| | | variables (referenced via a |
| | | function’s closure) |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | co_kwonlyargcount | number of keyword only |
| | | arguments (not including ** |
| | | arg) |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | 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 |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| generator | __name__ | name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __qualname__ | qualified name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | gi_frame | frame |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | gi_running | is the generator running? |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | gi_code | code |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | gi_yieldfrom | object being iterated by |
| | | "yield from", or "None" |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| coroutine | __name__ | name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __qualname__ | qualified name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | cr_await | object being awaited on, or |
| | | "None" |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | cr_frame | frame |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | cr_running | is the coroutine running? |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | cr_code | code |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| builtin | __doc__ | documentation string |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __name__ | original name of this |
| | | function or method |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __qualname__ | qualified name |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+
| | __self__ | instance to which a method |
| | | is bound, or "None" |
+-------------+---------------------+-----------------------------+

Changed in version 3.5: Add "__qualname__" and "gi_yieldfrom"
attributes to generators.The "__name__" attribute of generators is now
set from the function name, instead of the code name, and it can now
be modified.

inspect.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: "getmembers()" will only return class attributes defined in
the metaclass when the argument is a class and those attributes
have been listed in the metaclass’ custom "__dir__()".

inspect.getmodulename(path)

Return the name of the module named by the file *path*, without
including the names of enclosing packages. The file extension is
checked against all of the entries in
"importlib.machinery.all_suffixes()". If it matches, the final path
component is returned with the extension removed. Otherwise, "None"
is returned.

Note that this function *only* returns a meaningful name for actual
Python modules - paths that potentially refer to Python packages
will still return "None".

Changed in version 3.3: The function is based directly on
"importlib".

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 created
in 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 includes
functions created by a *lambda* expression.

inspect.isgeneratorfunction(object)

Return true if the object is a Python generator function.

inspect.isgenerator(object)

Return true if the object is a generator.

inspect.iscoroutinefunction(object)

Return true if the object is a *coroutine function* (a function
defined with an "async def" syntax).

New in version 3.5.

inspect.iscoroutine(object)

Return true if the object is a *coroutine* created by an "async
def" function.

New in version 3.5.

inspect.isawaitable(object)

Return true if the object can be used in "await" expression.

Can also be used to distinguish generator-based coroutines from
regular generators:

def gen():
yield
@types.coroutine
def gen_coro():
yield

assert not isawaitable(gen())
assert isawaitable(gen_coro())

New in version 3.5.

inspect.isasyncgenfunction(object)

Return true if the object is an *asynchronous generator* function,
for example:

>>> async def agen():
... yield 1
...
>>> inspect.isasyncgenfunction(agen)
True

New in version 3.6.

inspect.isasyncgen(object)

Return true if the object is an *asynchronous generator iterator*
created by an *asynchronous generator* function.

New in version 3.6.

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 bound built-
in method.

inspect.isroutine(object)

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

inspect.isabstract(object)

Return true if the object is an abstract base class.

inspect.ismethoddescriptor(object)

Return true if the object is a method descriptor, but not if
"ismethod()", "isclass()", "isfunction()" or "isbuiltin()" are
true.

This, for example, is true of "int.__add__". An object passing
this test has a "__get__()" method but not a "__set__()" method,
but beyond that the set of attributes varies. A "__name__"
attribute is usually sensible, and "__doc__" often is.

Methods implemented via descriptors that also pass one of the other
tests return false from the "ismethoddescriptor()" test, simply
because the other tests promise more – you can, e.g., count on
having the "__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__" method.
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
"__name__" and "__doc__" attributes (properties, getsets, and
members have both of these attributes), but this is not guaranteed.

inspect.isgetsetdescriptor(object)

Return true if the object is a getset descriptor.

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

inspect.ismemberdescriptor(object)

Return true if the object is a member descriptor.

**CPython implementation detail:** Member descriptors are
attributes defined in extension modules via "PyMemberDef"
structures. For Python implementations without such types, this
method will always return "False".


Retrieving source code
======================

inspect.getdoc(object)

Get the documentation string for an object, cleaned up with
"cleandoc()". If the documentation string for an object is not
provided and the object is a class, a method, a property or a
descriptor, retrieve the documentation string from the inheritance
hierarchy.

Changed in version 3.5: Documentation strings are now inherited if
not overridden.

inspect.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). If the object’s source code is unavailable, return
"None". This could happen if the object has been defined in C or
the interactive shell.

inspect.getfile(object)

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

inspect.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 "OSError" is raised if the source code cannot be
retrieved.

Changed in version 3.3: "OSError" is raised instead of "IOError",
now an alias of the former.

inspect.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
"OSError" is raised if the source code cannot be retrieved.

Changed in version 3.3: "OSError" is raised instead of "IOError",
now an alias of the former.

inspect.cleandoc(doc)

Clean up indentation from docstrings that are indented to line up
with blocks of code.

All leading whitespace is removed from the first line. Any leading
whitespace that can be uniformly removed from the second line
onwards is removed. Empty lines at the beginning and end are
subsequently removed. Also, all tabs are expanded to spaces.


Introspecting callables with the Signature object
=================================================

New in version 3.3.

The Signature object represents the call signature of a callable
object and its return annotation. To retrieve a Signature object, use
the "signature()" function.

inspect.signature(callable, *, follow_wrapped=True)

Return a "Signature" object for the given "callable":

>>> from inspect import signature
>>> def foo(a, *, b:int, **kwargs):
... pass

>>> sig = signature(foo)

>>> str(sig)
'(a, *, b:int, **kwargs)'

>>> str(sig.parameters['b'])
'b:int'

>>> sig.parameters['b'].annotation
<class 'int'>

Accepts a wide range of python callables, from plain functions and
classes to "functools.partial()" objects.

Raises "ValueError" if no signature can be provided, and
"TypeError" if that type of object is not supported.

New in version 3.5: "follow_wrapped" parameter. Pass "False" to get
a signature of "callable" specifically ("callable.__wrapped__" will
not be used to unwrap decorated callables.)

Note: Some callables may not be introspectable in certain
implementations of Python. For example, in CPython, some built-
in functions defined in C provide no metadata about their
arguments.

class inspect.Signature(parameters=None, *, return_annotation=Signature.empty)

A Signature object represents the call signature of a function and
its return annotation. For each parameter accepted by the function
it stores a "Parameter" object in its "parameters" collection.

The optional *parameters* argument is a sequence of "Parameter"
objects, which is validated to check that there are no parameters
with duplicate names, and that the parameters are in the right
order, i.e. positional-only first, then positional-or-keyword, and
that parameters with defaults follow parameters without defaults.

The optional *return_annotation* argument, can be an arbitrary
Python object, is the “return” annotation of the callable.

Signature objects are *immutable*. Use "Signature.replace()" to
make a modified copy.

Changed in version 3.5: Signature objects are picklable and
hashable.

empty

A special class-level marker to specify absence of a return
annotation.

parameters

An ordered mapping of parameters’ names to the corresponding
"Parameter" objects.

return_annotation

The “return” annotation for the callable. If the callable has
no “return” annotation, this attribute is set to
"Signature.empty".

bind(*args, **kwargs)

Create a mapping from positional and keyword arguments to
parameters. Returns "BoundArguments" if "*args" and "**kwargs"
match the signature, or raises a "TypeError".

bind_partial(*args, **kwargs)

Works the same way as "Signature.bind()", but allows the
omission of some required arguments (mimics
"functools.partial()" behavior.) Returns "BoundArguments", or
raises a "TypeError" if the passed arguments do not match the
signature.

replace(*[, parameters][, return_annotation])

Create a new Signature instance based on the instance replace
was invoked on. It is possible to pass different "parameters"
and/or "return_annotation" to override the corresponding
properties of the base signature. To remove return_annotation
from the copied Signature, pass in "Signature.empty".

>>> def test(a, b):
... pass
>>> sig = signature(test)
>>> new_sig = sig.replace(return_annotation="new return anno")
>>> str(new_sig)
"(a, b) -> 'new return anno'"

classmethod from_callable(obj, *, follow_wrapped=True)

Return a "Signature" (or its subclass) object for a given
callable "obj". Pass "follow_wrapped=False" to get a signature
of "obj" without unwrapping its "__wrapped__" chain.

This method simplifies subclassing of "Signature":

class MySignature(Signature):
pass
sig = MySignature.from_callable(min)
assert isinstance(sig, MySignature)

New in version 3.5.

class inspect.Parameter(name, kind, *, default=Parameter.empty, annotation=Parameter.empty)

Parameter objects are *immutable*. Instead of modifying a
Parameter object, you can use "Parameter.replace()" to create a
modified copy.

Changed in version 3.5: Parameter objects are picklable and
hashable.

empty

A special class-level marker to specify absence of default
values and annotations.

name

The name of the parameter as a string. The name must be a valid
Python identifier.

**CPython implementation detail:** CPython generates implicit
parameter names of the form ".0" on the code objects used to
implement comprehensions and generator expressions.

Changed in version 3.6: These parameter names are exposed by
this module as names like "implicit0".

default

The default value for the parameter. If the parameter has no
default value, this attribute is set to "Parameter.empty".

annotation

The annotation for the parameter. If the parameter has no
annotation, this attribute is set to "Parameter.empty".

kind

Describes how argument values are bound to the parameter.
Possible values (accessible via "Parameter", like
"Parameter.KEYWORD_ONLY"):

+--------------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| Name | Meaning |
+==========================+================================================+
| *POSITIONAL_ONLY* | Value must be supplied as a positional |
| | argument. Python has no explicit syntax for |
| | defining positional-only parameters, but many |
| | built-in and extension module functions |
| | (especially those that accept only one or two |
| | parameters) accept them. |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| *POSITIONAL_OR_KEYWORD* | Value may be supplied as either a keyword or |
| | positional argument (this is the standard |
| | binding behaviour for functions implemented in |
| | Python.) |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| *VAR_POSITIONAL* | A tuple of positional arguments that aren’t |
| | bound to any other parameter. This corresponds |
| | to a "*args" parameter in a Python function |
| | definition. |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| *KEYWORD_ONLY* | Value must be supplied as a keyword argument. |
| | Keyword only parameters are those which appear |
| | after a "*" or "*args" entry in a Python |
| | function definition. |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| *VAR_KEYWORD* | A dict of keyword arguments that aren’t bound |
| | to any other parameter. This corresponds to a |
| | "**kwargs" parameter in a Python function |
| | definition. |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------------------+

Example: print all keyword-only arguments without default
values:

>>> def foo(a, b, *, c, d=10):
... pass

>>> sig = signature(foo)
>>> for param in sig.parameters.values():
... if (param.kind == param.KEYWORD_ONLY and
... param.default is param.empty):
... print('Parameter:', param)
Parameter: c

replace(*[, name][, kind][, default][, annotation])

Create a new Parameter instance based on the instance
replaced was invoked on. To override a "Parameter"
attribute, pass the corresponding argument. To remove a
default value or/and an annotation from a Parameter, pass
"Parameter.empty".

>>> from inspect import Parameter
>>> param = Parameter('foo', Parameter.KEYWORD_ONLY, default=42)
>>> str(param)
'foo=42'

>>> str(param.replace()) # Will create a shallow copy of 'param'
'foo=42'

>>> str(param.replace(default=Parameter.empty, annotation='spam'))
"foo:'spam'"

Changed in version 3.4: In Python 3.3 Parameter objects were
allowed to have "name" set to "None" if their "kind" was set to
"POSITIONAL_ONLY". This is no longer permitted.

class inspect.BoundArguments

Result of a "Signature.bind()" or "Signature.bind_partial()" call.
Holds the mapping of arguments to the function’s parameters.

arguments

An ordered, mutable mapping ("collections.OrderedDict") of
parameters’ names to arguments’ values. Contains only
explicitly bound arguments. Changes in "arguments" will reflect
in "args" and "kwargs".

Should be used in conjunction with "Signature.parameters" for
any argument processing purposes.

Note: Arguments for which "Signature.bind()" or
"Signature.bind_partial()" relied on a default value are
skipped. However, if needed, use
"BoundArguments.apply_defaults()" to add them.

args

A tuple of positional arguments values. Dynamically computed
from the "arguments" attribute.

kwargs

A dict of keyword arguments values. Dynamically computed from
the "arguments" attribute.

signature

A reference to the parent "Signature" object.

apply_defaults()

Set default values for missing arguments.

For variable-positional arguments ("*args") the default is an
empty tuple.

For variable-keyword arguments ("**kwargs") the default is an
empty dict.

>>> def foo(a, b='ham', *args): pass
>>> ba = inspect.signature(foo).bind('spam')
>>> ba.apply_defaults()
>>> ba.arguments
OrderedDict([('a', 'spam'), ('b', 'ham'), ('args', ())])

New in version 3.5.

The "args" and "kwargs" properties can be used to invoke functions:

def test(a, *, b):
...

sig = signature(test)
ba = sig.bind(10, b=20)
test(*ba.args, **ba.kwargs)

See also:

**PEP 362** - Function Signature Object.
The detailed specification, implementation details and examples.


Classes and functions
=====================

inspect.getclasstree(classes, unique=False)

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.

inspect.getargspec(func)

Get the names and default values of a Python function’s parameters.
A *named tuple* "ArgSpec(args, varargs, keywords, defaults)" is
returned. *args* is a list of the parameter names. *varargs* and
*keywords* are the names of the "*" and "**" parameters 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*.

Deprecated since version 3.0: Use "getfullargspec()" for an updated
API that is usually a drop-in replacement, but also correctly
handles function annotations and keyword-only
parameters.Alternatively, use "signature()" and Signature Object,
which provide a more structured introspection API for callables.

inspect.getfullargspec(func)

Get the names and default values of a Python function’s parameters.
A *named tuple* is returned:

"FullArgSpec(args, varargs, varkw, defaults, kwonlyargs,
kwonlydefaults, annotations)"

*args* is a list of the positional parameter names. *varargs* is
the name of the "*" parameter or "None" if arbitrary positional
arguments are not accepted. *varkw* is the name of the "**"
parameter or "None" if arbitrary keyword arguments are not
accepted. *defaults* is an *n*-tuple of default argument values
corresponding to the last *n* positional parameters, or "None" if
there are no such defaults defined. *kwonlyargs* is a list of
keyword-only parameter names. *kwonlydefaults* is a dictionary
mapping parameter names from *kwonlyargs* to the default values
used if no argument is supplied. *annotations* is a dictionary
mapping parameter names to annotations. The special key ""return""
is used to report the function return value annotation (if any).

Note that "signature()" and Signature Object provide the
recommended API for callable introspection, and support additional
behaviours (like positional-only arguments) that are sometimes
encountered in extension module APIs. This function is retained
primarily for use in code that needs to maintain compatibility with
the Python 2 "inspect" module API.

Changed in version 3.4: This function is now based on
"signature()", but still ignores "__wrapped__" attributes and
includes the already bound first parameter in the signature output
for bound methods.

Changed in version 3.6: This method was previously documented as
deprecated in favour of "signature()" in Python 3.5, but that
decision has been reversed in order to restore a clearly supported
standard interface for single-source Python 2/3 code migrating away
from the legacy "getargspec()" API.

inspect.getargvalues(frame)

Get information about arguments passed into a particular frame. A
*named tuple* "ArgInfo(args, varargs, keywords, locals)" is
returned. *args* is a list of the argument names. *varargs* and
*keywords* are the names of the "*" and "**" arguments or "None".
*locals* is the locals dictionary of the given frame.

Note: This function was inadvertently marked as deprecated in
Python 3.5.

inspect.formatargspec(args[, varargs, varkw, defaults, kwonlyargs, kwonlydefaults, annotations[, formatarg, formatvarargs, formatvarkw, formatvalue, formatreturns, formatannotations]])

Format a pretty argument spec from the values returned by
"getfullargspec()".

The first seven arguments are ("args", "varargs", "varkw",
"defaults", "kwonlyargs", "kwonlydefaults", "annotations").

The other six arguments are functions that are called to turn
argument names, "*" argument name, "**" argument name, default
values, return annotation and individual annotations into strings,
respectively.

For example:

>>> from inspect import formatargspec, getfullargspec
>>> def f(a: int, b: float):
... pass
...
>>> formatargspec(*getfullargspec(f))
'(a: int, b: float)'

Deprecated since version 3.5: Use "signature()" and Signature
Object, which provide a better introspecting API for callables.

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

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

Note: This function was inadvertently marked as deprecated in
Python 3.5.

inspect.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.

inspect.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,)}
True
>>> getcallargs(f, a=2, x=4) == {'a': 2, 'named': {'x': 4}, 'b': 1, 'pos': ()}
True
>>> getcallargs(f)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
TypeError: f() missing 1 required positional argument: 'a'

New in version 3.2.

Deprecated since version 3.5: Use "Signature.bind()" and
"Signature.bind_partial()" instead.

inspect.getclosurevars(func)

Get the mapping of external name references in a Python function or
method *func* to their current values. A *named tuple*
"ClosureVars(nonlocals, globals, builtins, unbound)" is returned.
*nonlocals* maps referenced names to lexical closure variables,
*globals* to the function’s module globals and *builtins* to the
builtins visible from the function body. *unbound* is the set of
names referenced in the function that could not be resolved at all
given the current module globals and builtins.

"TypeError" is raised if *func* is not a Python function or method.

New in version 3.3.

inspect.unwrap(func, *, stop=None)

Get the object wrapped by *func*. It follows the chain of
"__wrapped__" attributes returning the last object in the chain.

*stop* is an optional callback accepting an object in the wrapper
chain as its sole argument that allows the unwrapping to be
terminated early if the callback returns a true value. If the
callback never returns a true value, the last object in the chain
is returned as usual. For example, "signature()" uses this to stop
unwrapping if any object in the chain has a "__signature__"
attribute defined.

"ValueError" is raised if a cycle is encountered.

New in version 3.4.


The interpreter stack
=====================

When the following functions return “frame records,” each record is a
*named tuple* "FrameInfo(frame, filename, lineno, function,
code_context, index)". The tuple contains 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.

Changed in version 3.5: Return a named tuple instead of a tuple.

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 "finally" clause. This is also important if
the cycle detector was disabled when Python was compiled or using
"gc.disable()". For example:

def handle_stackframe_without_leak():
frame = inspect.currentframe()
try:
# do something with the frame
finally:
del frame

If you want to keep the frame around (for example to print a
traceback later), you can also break reference cycles by using the
"frame.clear()" method.

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.

inspect.getframeinfo(frame, context=1)

Get information about a frame or traceback object. A *named tuple*
"Traceback(filename, lineno, function, code_context, index)" is
returned.

inspect.getouterframes(frame, context=1)

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.

Changed in version 3.5: A list of *named tuples* "FrameInfo(frame,
filename, lineno, function, code_context, index)" is returned.

inspect.getinnerframes(traceback, context=1)

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.

Changed in version 3.5: A list of *named tuples* "FrameInfo(frame,
filename, lineno, function, code_context, index)" is returned.

inspect.currentframe()

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

**CPython implementation 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".

inspect.stack(context=1)

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.

Changed in version 3.5: A list of *named tuples* "FrameInfo(frame,
filename, lineno, function, code_context, index)" is returned.

inspect.trace(context=1)

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.

Changed in version 3.5: A list of *named tuples* "FrameInfo(frame,
filename, lineno, function, code_context, index)" is returned.


Fetching attributes statically
==============================

Both "getattr()" and "hasattr()" can trigger code execution when
fetching or checking for the existence of attributes. Descriptors,
like properties, will be invoked and "__getattr__()" and
"__getattribute__()" may be called.

For cases where you want passive introspection, like documentation
tools, this can be inconvenient. "getattr_static()" has the same
signature as "getattr()" but avoids executing code when it fetches
attributes.

inspect.getattr_static(obj, attr, default=None)

Retrieve attributes without triggering dynamic lookup via the
descriptor protocol, "__getattr__()" or "__getattribute__()".

Note: this function may not be able to retrieve all attributes that
getattr can fetch (like dynamically created attributes) and may
find attributes that getattr can’t (like descriptors that raise
AttributeError). It can also return descriptors objects instead of
instance members.

If the instance "__dict__" is shadowed by another member (for
example a property) then this function will be unable to find
instance members.

New in version 3.2.

"getattr_static()" does not resolve descriptors, for example slot
descriptors or getset descriptors on objects implemented in C. The
descriptor object is returned instead of the underlying attribute.

You can handle these with code like the following. Note that for
arbitrary getset descriptors invoking these may trigger code
execution:

# example code for resolving the builtin descriptor types
class _foo:
__slots__ = ['foo']

slot_descriptor = type(_foo.foo)
getset_descriptor = type(type(open(__file__)).name)
wrapper_descriptor = type(str.__dict__['__add__'])
descriptor_types = (slot_descriptor, getset_descriptor, wrapper_descriptor)

result = getattr_static(some_object, 'foo')
if type(result) in descriptor_types:
try:
result = result.__get__()
except AttributeError:
# descriptors can raise AttributeError to
# indicate there is no underlying value
# in which case the descriptor itself will
# have to do
pass


Current State of Generators and Coroutines
==========================================

When implementing coroutine schedulers and for other advanced uses of
generators, it is useful to determine whether a generator is currently
executing, is waiting to start or resume or execution, or has already
terminated. "getgeneratorstate()" allows the current state of a
generator to be determined easily.

inspect.getgeneratorstate(generator)

Get current state of a generator-iterator.

Possible states are:
* GEN_CREATED: Waiting to start execution.

* GEN_RUNNING: Currently being executed by the interpreter.

* GEN_SUSPENDED: Currently suspended at a yield expression.

* GEN_CLOSED: Execution has completed.

New in version 3.2.

inspect.getcoroutinestate(coroutine)

Get current state of a coroutine object. The function is intended
to be used with coroutine objects created by "async def" functions,
but will accept any coroutine-like object that has "cr_running" and
"cr_frame" attributes.

Possible states are:
* CORO_CREATED: Waiting to start execution.

* CORO_RUNNING: Currently being executed by the interpreter.

* CORO_SUSPENDED: Currently suspended at an await expression.

* CORO_CLOSED: Execution has completed.

New in version 3.5.

The current internal state of the generator can also be queried. This
is mostly useful for testing purposes, to ensure that internal state
is being updated as expected:

inspect.getgeneratorlocals(generator)

Get the mapping of live local variables in *generator* to their
current values. A dictionary is returned that maps from variable
names to values. This is the equivalent of calling "locals()" in
the body of the generator, and all the same caveats apply.

If *generator* is a *generator* with no currently associated frame,
then an empty dictionary is returned. "TypeError" is raised if
*generator* is not a Python generator object.

**CPython implementation detail:** This function relies on the
generator exposing a Python stack frame for introspection, which
isn’t guaranteed to be the case in all implementations of Python.
In such cases, this function will always return an empty
dictionary.

New in version 3.3.

inspect.getcoroutinelocals(coroutine)

This function is analogous to "getgeneratorlocals()", but works for
coroutine objects created by "async def" functions.

New in version 3.5.


Code Objects Bit Flags
======================

Python code objects have a "co_flags" attribute, which is a bitmap of
the following flags:

inspect.CO_OPTIMIZED

The code object is optimized, using fast locals.

inspect.CO_NEWLOCALS

If set, a new dict will be created for the frame’s "f_locals" when
the code object is executed.

inspect.CO_VARARGS

The code object has a variable positional parameter ("*args"-like).

inspect.CO_VARKEYWORDS

The code object has a variable keyword parameter ("**kwargs"-like).

inspect.CO_NESTED

The flag is set when the code object is a nested function.

inspect.CO_GENERATOR

The flag is set when the code object is a generator function, i.e.
a generator object is returned when the code object is executed.

inspect.CO_NOFREE

The flag is set if there are no free or cell variables.

inspect.CO_COROUTINE

The flag is set when the code object is a coroutine function. When
the code object is executed it returns a coroutine object. See
**PEP 492** for more details.

New in version 3.5.

inspect.CO_ITERABLE_COROUTINE

The flag is used to transform generators into generator-based
coroutines. Generator objects with this flag can be used in
"await" expression, and can "yield from" coroutine objects. See
**PEP 492** for more details.

New in version 3.5.

inspect.CO_ASYNC_GENERATOR

The flag is set when the code object is an asynchronous generator
function. When the code object is executed it returns an
asynchronous generator object. See **PEP 525** for more details.

New in version 3.6.

Note: The flags are specific to CPython, and may not be defined in
other Python implementations. Furthermore, the flags are an
implementation detail, and can be removed or deprecated in future
Python releases. It’s recommended to use public APIs from the
"inspect" module for any introspection needs.


Command Line Interface
======================

The "inspect" module also provides a basic introspection capability
from the command line.

By default, accepts the name of a module and prints the source of that
module. A class or function within the module can be printed instead
by appended a colon and the qualified name of the target object.

--details

Print information about the specified object rather than the source
code