In Python, the locals()
function returns a dictionary containing the current local symbol table. It returns a dictionary with the variable names as keys and their corresponding values as values.
The locals()
function is typically used within a function or method to access the local variables defined within that function. It provides a way to introspect the local namespace and retrieve the values of local variables dynamically.
Here's a simple example to illustrate the usage of the locals()
function:
def my_function():
x = 10
y = 20
local_vars = locals()
print(local_vars)
my_function()
{'x': 10, 'y': 20}
In this example, the locals()
function is called within the my_function()
function. It captures the local variables x
and y
and returns them as a dictionary. The output shows the dictionary with the variable names as keys and their corresponding values.
It's important to note that the locals()
function returns a dictionary representing the current state of the local namespace at the time it is called. Modifying the returned dictionary does not affect the actual variables in the local scope.