extract the number and name of python method arguments

Question

How can I return the arguments of a function in a different module

#Module: functionss.py
def simple(a, b, c):
    print "does something"


#Module: extract.py
#load the called module and function
def get_args(module_name, function_name):
    modFile, modPath, modDesc = imp.find_module(module_name)
    mod = imp.load_module(module_name,modFile,modPath,modDesc)
    attr = getattr(mod, function_name)

#this is the part I don't get - how do I read the arguments
    return = attr.get_the_args()

 if __name__ == "__main__":
     print get_args("functions.py", "simple")

 #this would ideally print [a, b, c]

What's wrong with reading the source? It's Python -- you have the source, just read it. What's preventing that? — S.Lott, Nov 19 '09 at 11:16
Further, what's wrong with the `help()` function? That usually tells you everything. What's wrong with that? — S.Lott, Nov 19 '09 at 11:17
See http://stackoverflow.com/questions/847936/how-can-i-find-the-number-of-arguments-of-a-python-function — S.Lott, Nov 19 '09 at 11:18
And http://stackoverflow.com/questions/741950/programatically-determining-amount-of-parameters-a-function-requires-python — Stephan202, Nov 19 '09 at 14:17

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 19 '09 at 04:50

Use inspect.getargspec for the "heavy lifting" (introspecting a function).

Use __import__ to import a module (given its module name -- "functions.py" is a terrible way to specify a module name;-).

Use getattr(moduleobject, functionname) to get the function object given module object and function name.

extract the number and name of python method arguments

1 Answers1