python NameError: global name '__file__' i

Question

When I run this code in python 2.7, I get this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\pyutilib.subprocess-3.5.4\setup.py", line 30, in <module>
    long_description = read('README.txt'),
  File "C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\pyutilib.subprocess-3.5.4\setup.py", line 19, in read
    return open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), *rnames)).read()
NameError: global name '__file__' is not defined

code is:

import os
from setuptools import setup


def read(*rnames):
    return open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), *rnames)).read()


setup(name="pyutilib.subprocess",
    version='3.5.4',
    maintainer='William E. Hart',
    maintainer_email='[e-mail]',
    url = 'https://software.sandia.gov/svn/public/pyutilib/pyutilib.subprocess',
    license = 'BSD',
    platforms = ["any"],
    description = 'PyUtilib utilites for managing subprocesses.',
    long_description = read('README.txt'),
    classifiers = [
        'Development Status :: 4 - Beta',
        'Intended Audience :: End Users/Desktop',
        'License :: OSI Approved :: BSD License',
        'Natural Language :: English',
        'Operating System :: Microsoft :: Windows',
        'Operating System :: Unix',
        'Programming Language :: Python',
        'Programming Language :: Unix Shell',
        'Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Mathematics',
        'Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules'],
      packages=['pyutilib', 'pyutilib.subprocess', 'pyutilib.subprocess.tests'],
      keywords=['utility'],
      namespace_packages=['pyutilib'],
      install_requires=['pyutilib.common', 'pyutilib.services']
      )

Answer 1

You will get this if you are running the commands from the python shell:

>>> __file__
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name '__file__' is not defined

You need to execute the file directly, by passing it in as an argument to the python command:

$ python somefile.py

In your case, it should really be python setup.py install

Answer 2

I solved it by treating file as a string, i.e. put "__file__" (together with the quotes!) instead of __file__

This works fine for me:

wk_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath('__file__'))

Answer 3

If you're exec'ing a file via command line, you can use this hack

import traceback

def get_this_filename():
    try:
        raise NotImplementedError("No error")
    except Exception as e:
        exc_type, exc_value, exc_traceback = sys.exc_info()
        filename = traceback.extract_tb(exc_traceback)[-1].filename
    return filename

This worked for me in the UnrealEnginePython console, calling py.exec myfile.py

Answer 4

I'm having exacty the same problem and using probably the same tutorial. The function definition:

def read(*rnames):
    return open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), *rnames)).read()

is buggy, since os.path.dirname(__file__) will not return what you need. Try replacing os.path.dirname(__file__) with os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)):

def read(*rnames):
    return open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), *rnames)).read()

I've just posted Andrew that the code snippet in current docs don't work, hopefully, it'll be corrected.

Answer 5

This error comes when you append this line os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__)) in python interactive shell.

Python Shell doesn't detect current file path in __file__ and it's related to your filepath in which you added this line

So you should write this line os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__)) in file.py. and then run python file.py, It works because it takes your filepath.

Answer 6

If all you are looking for is to get your current working directory os.getcwd() will give you the same thing as os.path.dirname(__file__) as long as you have not changed the working directory elsewhere in your code. os.getcwd() also works in interactive mode.

So os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__)) becomes os.path.join(os.getcwd())