How to deal with scope of variables in python

Question

I have a python module that contains code for generating a large array, and it contains multiple functions for doing this. This is how I have it right now:

var1 = 0
var2 = 0
var3 = 0
var4 = 0
var5 = 0
var6 = 0
def main():
    foo()
    moo(var1,var2)
    noo(var6)
def foo():
    Math using vars
def moo():
    More math
def noo():
    More math

However, I cannot use vars 1-6 without first defying them inside there respective functions, as it throws a "Referenced before assignment" exception. It seems the best way to do this would be to use global, but that seems heavily frowned upon. Why is global not recommended? Would it be acceptable to use it here? How else should I go about this?

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

1

you need to define those variables as global to be used in the function. Here is an example. Using global variables in a function other than the one that created them

edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

Community

1
1

answered Nov 06 '12 at 02:56

specialscope

4,188
3
24
22

Is global not frowned upon? Is it acceptable to use in a situation like this? – Nov 06 '12 at 03:06
Yes globals should be avoided unless it is just temp piece of code, it is better to pass as parameters. – specialscope Nov 06 '12 at 03:11

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 06 '12 at 02:58

Better would be to pass the variables in as parameters to those functions:

def main(var1, var2, var3, var4, var5, var6):
    foo(var1, var2, var3)
    moo(var2,var3)
    noo(var5)
    ...

def foo(var1, var2, var3):
    Math using vars
def moo(var2, var3):
    More math
def noo(var5):
    More math

And then just call main with all 6 parameters.

How to deal with scope of variables in python

2 Answers2