how can a function find the name by which it is called?

how can a function find the name by which it is called? - Printable Version

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how can a function find the name by which it is called? - Skaperen - Aug-14-2022

how can a function find the name by which it is called?

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - bowlofred - Aug-14-2022

You could try inspect.stack()[1][4][0] and see if that is useful.

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - DeaD_EyE - Aug-14-2022

import sys


def who_called_me():
    print(sys._getframe().f_back.f_code.co_name)


def i_am_the_caller():
    who_called_me()


i_am_the_caller()

Output:
i_am_the_caller

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - bowlofred - Aug-14-2022

Depends on what is wanted, but that seems to display the name of the function, not the name that calls it. (similar to inspect.currentframe().f_code.co_name) If you assign the function to a variable and call the variable, it still returns the original function name.

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - Skaperen - Aug-14-2022

if foo calls bar() the name i want is "bar", not "foo"

if foo does xyzzy = bar then calls xyzzy() the name i want is "xyzzy"

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - Gribouillis - Aug-14-2022

(Aug-14-2022, 07:05 PM)Skaperen Wrote: if foo does xyzzy = bar then calls xyzzy() the name i want is "xyzzy"

If foo does

xyz  = [bar, bar, bar]

what do you want when foo calls

xyz[0]()

? Also what is the purpose of all this?

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - Skaperen - Aug-14-2022

(Aug-14-2022, 07:28 PM)Gribouillis Wrote: what do you want when foo calls
xyz[0]()

probably "xyz[0]". if i can get that piece of code, that would work. i suspect otherwise i'd get the function's def name.

(Aug-14-2022, 07:28 PM)Gribouillis Wrote: Also what is the purpose of all this?

to allow the function to output a more meaningful message in the case of certain errors.

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - bowlofred - Aug-14-2022

(Aug-14-2022, 07:05 PM)Skaperen Wrote: if foo calls bar() the name i want is "bar", not "foo"

if foo does xyzzy = bar then calls xyzzy() the name i want is "xyzzy"

That's exactly what the 'inspect.stack()' line I posted above should do. Did you try it?

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - Gribouillis - Aug-15-2022

(Aug-14-2022, 10:57 PM)Skaperen Wrote: to allow the function to output a more meaningful message in the case of certain errors.

Then why don't you output the whole stack traceback, or simply raise an exception? The traceback is the most precise error report.

RE: how can a function find the name by which it is called? - Skaperen - Aug-15-2022

i am wanting to phrase the message in a certain context for this user base that is following some specific instructions to get specific results. these users are running commands (in the future, to use a GUI app) that constructs some Python code. these users are not coders and probably have no understanding of a traceback or the Python message. if the function can get the name that would simplify the task. otherwise i will need to add another argument in both the function and all makers of calling code.