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In this tutorial, you’ll learn all about Python’s if __name__ == "__main__" idiom—starting with what it really does in Python, and ending with a suggestion for a quicker way to refer to it.
- Put Most Code Into a Function or Class. Remember that the Python interpreter executes all the code in a module when it imports the module. Sometimes the code you write will have side effects that you want the user to control, such as
- Use if __name__ == "__main__" to Control the Execution of Your Code. What if you want process_data() to execute when you run the script from the command line but not when the Python interpreter imports the file?
- Create a Function Called main() to Contain the Code You Want to Run. Now you are able to write Python code that can be run from the command line as a script and imported without unwanted side effects.
- Call Other Functions From main() Another common practice in Python is to have main() execute other functions, rather than including the task-accomplishing code in main().
Aug 25, 2023 · Every Python module has it’s __name__ defined and if this is ‘__main__’, it implies that the module is being run standalone by the user and we can do corresponding appropriate actions. If you import this script as a module in another script, the __name__ is set to the name of the script/module.
Jan 7, 2009 · if __name__ == "__main__": is basically the top-level script environment, and it specifies the interpreter that ('I have the highest priority to be executed first'). '__main__' is the name of the scope in which top-level code executes.
2 days ago · In Python, the special name __main__ is used for two important constructs: the name of the top-level environment of the program, which can be checked using the __name__ == '__main__' expression; and the __main__.py file in Python packages.
Jul 3, 2020 · We can use an if __name__ == "__main__" block to allow or prevent parts of code from being run when the modules are imported. When the Python interpreter reads a file, the __name__ variable is set as __main__ if the module being run, or as the module's name if it is imported.
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What does if __name__ mean in Python?
Python includes the special variable called __name__ that contains the scope of the code being executed as a string. __main__ is the name of the top-level scope in which top-level code executes. For example, the scope of the code executed in the interpreter shell will be __main__, as shown below.
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