Python static variable in function

Instead of creating a function having a static local variable, you can always create what is called a "function object" and give it a standard (non-static) member variable.

Since you gave an example written C++, I will first explain what a "function object" is in C++. A "function object" is simply any class with an overloaded operator(). Instances of the class will behave like functions. For example, you can write int x = square(5); even if square is an object (with overloaded operator()) and not technically not a "function." You can give a function-object any of the features that you could give a class object.

# C++ function object
class Foo_class {
    private:
        int counter;     
    public:
        Foo_class() {
             counter = 0;
        }
        void operator() () {  
            counter++;
            printf("counter is %d\n", counter);
        }     
   };
   Foo_class foo;

In Python, we can also overload operator() except that the method is instead named __call__:

Here is a class definition:

class Foo_class:
    def __init__(self): # __init__ is similair to a C++ class constructor
        self.counter = 0
        # self.counter is like a static member
        # variable of a function named "foo"
    def __call__(self): # overload operator()
        self.counter += 1
        print("counter is %d" % self.counter);
foo = Foo_class() # call the constructor

Here is an example of the class being used:

from foo import foo

for i in range(0, 5):
    foo() # function call

The output printed to the console is:

counter is 1
counter is 2
counter is 3
counter is 4
counter is 5

If you want your function to take input arguments, you can add those to __call__ as well:

# FILE: foo.py - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

class Foo_class:
    def __init__(self):
        self.counter = 0
    def __call__(self, x, y, z): # overload operator()
        self.counter += 1
        print("counter is %d" % self.counter);
        print("x, y, z, are %d, %d, %d" % (x, y, z));
foo = Foo_class() # call the constructor

# FILE: main.py - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

from foo import foo

for i in range(0, 5):
    foo(7, 8, 9) # function call

# Console Output - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

counter is 1
x, y, z, are 7, 8, 9
counter is 2
x, y, z, are 7, 8, 9
counter is 3
x, y, z, are 7, 8, 9
counter is 4
x, y, z, are 7, 8, 9
counter is 5
x, y, z, are 7, 8, 9

You can make static variables inside a function in many ways in Python. If declaring a static variable in a function means variable throughout the lifetime of the program.

Simple 3 example code for it:-

Add attributes to a function

You can add attributes to a function, and use it as a static variable. Count how many times functions have been called using a static variable.

def foo():
    foo.counter += 1
    print("Counter is %d" % foo.counter)


foo.counter = 0

foo()
foo()

Output:

Initialization code at the top using decorator

If you want the counter initialization code at the top instead of the bottom, you can create a decorator:

def static_vars(**kwargs):
    def decorate(func):
        for k in kwargs:
            setattr(func, k, kwargs[k])
        return func

    return decorate


# Then use the code like this:
@static_vars(counter=0)
def foo():
    foo.counter += 1
    print("Counter is %d" % foo.counter)


foo()

Output: Counter is 1

Use hasattr()

Alternatively, if you don’t want to set up the variable outside the function, you can use hasattr() to avoid an AttributeError exception:

def myfunc():
    if not hasattr(myfunc, "counter"):
        myfunc.counter = 0  # it doesn't exist yet, so initialize it
    myfunc.counter += 1
    return myfunc.counter

print(myfunc())
print(myfunc())

Output:

1
2

Do comment if you have any doubts or suggestions on this Python variable topic.

Note: IDE: PyCharm 2021.3.3 (Community Edition)

Windows 10

Python 3.10.1

All Python Examples are in Python 3, so Maybe its different from python 2 or upgraded versions.

Degree in Computer Science and Engineer: App Developer and has multiple Programming languages experience. Enthusiasm for technology & like learning technical.

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