How do you assign local variables within a function using exec?

Asked Dec 20 '19 at 04:10

Active Dec 20 '19 at 04:14

Viewed 65 times

I have a function with an unspecified number of input strings which are intended to be variable names. For example

def f(*args):
    for arg in args:
        exec('{} = 1'.format(arg))

    return a

f('a', 'b')

When running the code, I recieve the following error

NameError: name 'a' is not defined

How do I assign local variables for the function which are to be manipulated or returned? The solution provided in this similar but different question requires creating the variables outside the function, i.e. adding them to the global namespace, but that is not what I want.

asked Dec 20 '19 at 04:10

Tian

3

You cannot add variables to the local namespace; its contents were fixed at compile time. – jasonharper Dec 20 '19 at 04:12
You don't. It's bad practice to begin with. There is no need for dynamic variables – juanpa.arrivillaga Dec 20 '19 at 05:33

How do you assign local variables within a function using exec?

0 Answers0