Python: default variable in definition not defined when importing module

Let's say I have a module foo.py that contains the following function:

foo.py

def bar(var=somedict):
print(var)


In my main program, main.py, I import this module, define the variable somedict and then run the function bar:

main.py

somedict

bar

from foo import *
somedict = 'foobar'
bar()


The idea is that somedict is passed along as default parameter without having to specify it explictly (which I'd like to avoid for the actual program I'm writing).

somedict

However, Python throws a NameError: name 'somedict' is not defined. How can I still import the module and have the desired 'passing along of the default variable'? Thanks!

NameError: name 'somedict' is not defined

1 Answer
1

somedict is not defined during import. So from foo import * throws the error NameError: name 'somedict' is not defined

somedict

from foo import *

NameError: name 'somedict' is not defined

So modify foo.py as follows

foo.py

somedict=
def bar(var=None):
if var is None:
var=somedict
print(var)


Now, you should be able to do what were trying, in a slightly different form

import foo
foo.somedict = 'a':1
foo.bar()


main.py

from foo import *

somedict

foo

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