Python - dir() - how can I differentiate between functions/method and simple attributes?

Question

dir() returns a list of all the defined names, but it is annoying to try to call function I see listed only to discover it is actually an attribute, or to try to access an attribute only to discover it is actually a callable. How can I get dir() to be more informative?

attrs = [a for a in dir(obj) if not callable(a)] and funcs = [a for a in dir(obj) if callable(a)] — Chinmay Kanchi
– Chinmay Kanchi, Commented Nov 8, 2014 at 14:20
Sorry, attrs = [a for a in dir(obj) if not callable(getattr(obj, a))] — Chinmay Kanchi
– Chinmay Kanchi, Commented Nov 8, 2014 at 15:19
Just FYI, callable() also finds classes because they are callable. — kindall
– kindall, Commented Mar 31, 2023 at 16:34

James K · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-08 14:40:59Z

11

To show a list of the defined names in a module, for example the math module, and their types you could do:

[(name,type(getattr(math,name))) for name in dir(math)]

getattr(math,name) returns the object (function, or otherwise) from the math module, named by the value of the string in the variable "name". For example type(getattr(math,'pi')) is 'float'

answered Nov 8, 2014 at 14:40

James K

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anon582847382 · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-08 15:01:59Z

6

There isn't a way to make dir 'more informative' as you put it, but you can use the callable and getattr functions:

[(a, 'func' if callable(getattr(obj, a)) else 'attr') for a in dir(obj)]

Obviously functions are still attributes themselves, but you get the idea.

edited Nov 8, 2014 at 15:01

answered Nov 8, 2014 at 14:41

anon582847382

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gh640 · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-08 14:53:32Z

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Another way is to use getmembers function in inspect. You can get a similar result to James's one by

from inspect import getmembers

getmembers(obj)  # => ...

For more information, please take a look at:

https://docs.python.org/2/library/inspect.html#inspect.getmembers

answered Nov 8, 2014 at 14:53

gh640

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javmah · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-14 07:58:43Z

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You can see details on this way :

for functions_variables_list in dir( module_name ):
  print(functions_variables_list, type( getattr(module_name, functions_variables_list)))

PS: For default function details see: dir(), type(), getattr()

edited Sep 14, 2020 at 7:58

answered Sep 14, 2020 at 7:36

javmah

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