Using a dictionary to select function to execute

Question

I am trying to use functional programming to create a dictionary containing a key and a function to execute:

myDict={}
myItems=("P1","P2","P3",...."Pn")
def myMain(key):
    def ExecP1():
        pass
    def ExecP2():
        pass
    def ExecP3():
        pass
        ...
    def ExecPn():
        pass  

Now, I have seen a code used to find the defined functions in a module, and I need to do something like this:

    for myitem in myItems:
        myDict[myitem] = ??? #to dynamically find the corresponding function

So my question is, How do I make a list of all the Exec functions and then assign them to the desired item using the a dictionary? so at the end I will have myDict["P1"]() #this will call ExecP1()

My real problem is that I have tons of those items and I making a library that will handle them so the final user only needs to call myMain("P1")

I think using the inspect module, but I am not so sure how to do it.

My reason to avoid:

def ExecPn():
    pass
myDict["Pn"]=ExecPn

is that I have to protect code as I am using it to provide a scripting feature within my application.

Answer 1

Simplify, simplify, simplify:

def p1(args):
    whatever

def p2(more args):
    whatever

myDict = {
    "P1": p1,
    "P2": p2,
    ...
    "Pn": pn
}

def myMain(name):
    myDict[name]()

That's all you need.

---

You might consider the use of dict.get with a callable default if name refers to an invalid function—

def myMain(name):
    myDict.get(name, lambda: 'Invalid')()

(Picked this neat trick up from Martijn Pieters)

Answer 2

Simplify, simplify, simplify + DRY:

tasks = {}
task = lambda f: tasks.setdefault(f.__name__, f)

@task
def p1():
    whatever

@task
def p2():
    whatever

def my_main(key):
    tasks[key]()

Answer 3

Not proud of it, but:

def myMain(key):
    def ExecP1():
        pass
    def ExecP2():
        pass
    def ExecP3():
        pass
    def ExecPn():
        pass 
    locals()['Exec' + key]()

I do however recommend that you put those in a module/class whatever, this is truly horrible.

---

If you are willing to add a decorator for each function, you can define a decorator which adds each function to a dictionary:

def myMain(key):
    tasks = {}
    
    def task(task_fn):
        tasks[task_fn.__name__] = task_fn
    
    @task
    def ExecP1():
        print(1)
    @task
    def ExecP2():
        print(2)
    @task
    def ExecP3():
        print(3)
    @task
    def ExecPn():
        print(4)
    
    tasks['Exec' + key]()

---

Another option is to place all the functions under a class (or in a different module) and use getattr:

def myMain(key):
    class Tasks:
        def ExecP1():
            print(1)
        def ExecP2():
            print(2)
        def ExecP3():
            print(3)
        def ExecPn():
            print(4)
    
    task = getattr(Tasks, 'Exec' + key)
    task()

Answer 4

# index dictionary by list of key names

def fn1():
    print "One"

def fn2():
    print "Two"

def fn3():
    print "Three"

fndict = {"A": fn1, "B": fn2, "C": fn3}

keynames = ["A", "B", "C"]

fndict[keynames[1]]()

# keynames[1] = "B", so output of this code is

# Two

Answer 5

You can just use

myDict = {
    "P1": (lambda x: function1()),
    "P2": (lambda x: function2()),
    ...,
    "Pn": (lambda x: functionn())}
myItems = ["P1", "P2", ..., "Pn"]

for item in myItems:
    myDict[item]()

Answer 6

This will call methods from dictionary

This is python switch statement with function calling

Create few modules as per the your requirement. If want to pass arguments then pass.

Create a dictionary, which will call these modules as per requirement.

    def function_1(arg):
        print("In function_1")

    def function_2(arg):
        print("In function_2")

    def function_3(fileName):
        print("In function_3")
        f_title,f_course1,f_course2 = fileName.split('_')
        return(f_title,f_course1,f_course2)


    def createDictionary():

        dict = {

            1 : function_1,
            2 : function_2,
            3 : function_3,

        }    
        return dict

    dictionary = createDictionary()
    dictionary[3](Argument)#pass any key value to call the method

Answer 7

Often classes are used to enclose methods and following is the extension for answers above with default method in case the method is not found.

class P:

     def p1(self):
         print('Start')

     def p2(self):
         print('Help')

     def ps(self):
         print('Settings')

     def d(self):
         print('Default function')

     myDict = {
         "start": p1,
         "help": p2,
         "settings": ps
     }

     def call_it(self):
         name = 'start'
         f = lambda self, x : self.myDict.get(x, lambda x : self.d())(self)
         f(self, name)


 p = P()
 p.call_it()

Answer 8

class CallByName():
    
    def method1(self):
        pass

    def method2(self):
        pass

    def method3(self):
        pass

    def get_method(self, method_name):
        method = getattr(self, method_name)
        return method()


callbyname = CallByName()
method1 = callbyname.get_method(method_name)

```

Answer 9

#!/usr/bin/python

def thing_a(arg=None):
    print 'thing_a', arg

def thing_b(arg=None):
    print 'thing_b', arg

ghetto_switch_statement = {
    'do_thing_a': thing_a,
    'do_thing_b': thing_b
}

ghetto_switch_statement['do_thing_a']("It's lovely being an A")
ghetto_switch_statement['do_thing_b']("Being a B isn't too shabby either")

print "Available methods are: ", ghetto_switch_statement.keys()

Answer 10

def p1( ):
    print("in p1")

def p2():
    print("in p2")

myDict={
    "P1": p1,
    "P2": p2

}

name=input("enter P1 or P2")

myDictname

Answer 11

# Define your functions here (replace with actual function definitions)

# Function that simulates calling FunctionA with parameters
def FunctionA(param1, param2):
    print(f"Calling FunctionA with params: {param1}, {param2}")

# Function that simulates calling FunctionB with parameters
def FunctionB(img_ch, output_ch, lamda, start_n):
    print(f"Calling FunctionB with params: {img_ch}, {output_ch}, {lamda}, {start_n}")

# Function that simulates calling FunctionC
def FunctionC():
    print("Calling FunctionC")

# Function that simulates calling FunctionD with parameters
def FunctionD(param1, param2):
    print(f"Calling FunctionD with params: {param1}, {param2}")

# Your dictionary
a = {
'FunctionA': 'FunctionA(9, 5)',
'FunctionB': 'FunctionB(img_ch=3,output_ch=2,lamda=0.1,start_n=16)',
'FunctionC': 'FunctionC()',
'FunctionD': 'FunctionD(3,2)'
}


# Loop through the dictionary
for key, value in a.items():
    try:
        # Evaluate the value as a function call
        eval(value)
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error calling {key}: {e}")

Output:

Calling FunctionA with params: 9, 5
Calling FunctionB with params: 3, 2, 0.1, 16
Calling FunctionA with params: 9, 3
Calling FunctionC
Calling FunctionD with params: 3, 2

Answer 12

You are wasting your time:

1. You are about to write a lot of useless code and introduce new bugs.
2. To execute the function, your user will need to know the P1 name anyway.
3. Etc., etc., etc.

Just put all your functions in the .py file:

# my_module.py

def f1():
    pass

def f2():
    pass

def f3():
    pass

And use them like this:

import my_module

my_module.f1()
my_module.f2()
my_module.f3()

or:

from my_module import f1
from my_module import f2
from my_module import f3

f1()
f2()
f3()

This should be enough for starters.