Can I access global variables in called python?

MarkWingfield — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:13:28 GMT

Trick one to explain but I will give it a go with simplified code.

I originally had a python script that had some global variables defined at the top, some functions and then the main code in a "try" statement. eg

PythonScript.py

import arcpy, os, sys
arcpy.env.workspace = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
LogAllEvents = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1)
globalVariable1 = "Global1"
globalVariable2 = "Global2"
sdeConn = arcpy.ArcSDESQLExecute(arcpy.env.workspace)
def somefunc(Global1):
   print Global1
def someotherfunc(Global2)
   global Global1
   print Global2
   Global1 = Global2
try:
   print "Starting Process"
   somefunc(Global1)
   someotherfunc(Global2)
   #now carry out some logic using sdeconn

I now have realized I need a method of calling this python script to perform the main functionality, so have altered this as follows:

PythonScript.py

import arcpy, os, sys
def somefunc(Global1):
   print Global1
def someotherfunc(Global2)
   global Global1
   print Global2
   Global1 = Global2
def main(arcpy.env.workspace, LogAllEvents )
   print "Starting Process"
   globalVariable1 = "Global1"
   globalVariable2 = "Global2"
   sdeConn = arcpy.ArcSDESQLExecute(arcpy.env.workspace)
   somefunc(Global1)
   someotherfunc(Global2)
   #now carry out some logic using sdeconn
if __name__ == "__main__":
   main(dummy,dummy)

I will always call the main() from another python script so please ignore the details of the "if __name__" statement above. My call from the other script will be:

OtherScript.py

import arcpy, os, sys, PythonScript
arcpy.env.workspace = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
LogAllEvents = "Y"
PythonScript.main(arcpy.env.workspace, LogAllEvents)

As you can see, in PythonScript, I moved all global variables into the function main().

I had to do this as it was a function that I would be calling directly from another script. Could I have left these at the top of the script and accessed in main() by defining them as global? I understand these are accessible when it is the default body of code being called but was not sure calling a function from another script.

I have simplified my scripts above. In real life there are dozens of globals and I need to get my head around this before I start shifting variables wholesale into main().

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Can I access global variables in called python?