Using print as a variable name in python

Question

While following a tutorial for python, I got to know that we can use print for a variable name, and it works fine. But after assigning the print variable, how do we get back the original print function?

>>> print("Hello World!!")
Hello World!!!
>>> print = 5
>>> print("Hi")

Now, the last call gives the error TypeError: 'int' object is not callable, since now print has the integer value 5.

But, how do we get back the original functionality of print now? Should we use the class name for the print function or something? As in, SomeClass.print("Hi")?

Thanks in advance.

score 18 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 21 '13 at 10:03

18

>>> print = 5
>>> print = __builtins__.print
>>> print("hello")
hello

answered Jul 21 '13 at 10:03

Tim Pietzcker

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Wow. I was wrong :p. +1 because I never even knew about this – TerryA Jul 21 '13 at 10:03
So here, what exactly is __builtins__?? Is this used for naming builtin functions?? – albin Jul 21 '13 at 10:05
6

@stRIker: it is a implementation detail of CPython. You can also use the [`builtins` module](http://docs.python.org/3/library/builtins.html). – Martijn Pieters Jul 21 '13 at 10:09

TerryA · Answer 2 · 2013-07-21T10:10:06.630

7

You can actually delete the variable so the built-in function will work again:

>>> print = 5
>>> print('cabbage')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
TypeError: 'int' object is not callable
>>> del print
>>> print('cabbage')
cabbage

edited Jul 21 '13 at 10:10

answered Jul 21 '13 at 10:02

TerryA

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Yeah, I could also have used this. – albin Jul 21 '13 at 10:14

score 5 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 21 '13 at 10:16

5

If you want to use as a temp way, do them but after that, apply print function to print variable:

print = __builtins__.print

edited Jul 21 '13 at 10:16

Tim Pietzcker

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answered Jul 21 '13 at 10:05

Reza Ebrahimi

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Using print as a variable name in python

3 Answers3