What is the Python equivalent of static variables

Question

What is the idiomatic Python equivalent of this C/C++ code?

void foo()
{
    static int counter = 0;
    counter++;
    printf("counter is %d\n", counter);
}

specifically, how does one implement the static member at the function level, as opposed to the class level? And does placing the function into a class change anything?

Answer 1

def staticvariables(**variables):
    def decorate(function):
        for variable in variables:
            setattr(function, variable, variables[variable])
        return function
    return decorate

@staticvariables(counter=0, bar=1)
def foo():
    print(foo.counter)
    print(foo.bar)

Much like vincent's code above, this would be used as a function decorator and static variables must be accessed with the function name as a prefix. The advantage of this code (although admittedly anyone might be smart enough to figure it out) is that you can have multiple static variables and initialise them in a more conventional manner.

Answer 2

Another (not recommended!) twist on the callable object like https://stackoverflow.com/a/279598/916373, if you don't mind using a funky call signature, would be to do

class foo(object):
    counter = 0;
    @staticmethod
    def __call__():
        foo.counter += 1
        print "counter is %i" % foo.counter

---

>>> foo()()
counter is 1
>>> foo()()
counter is 2

Answer 3

A bit reversed, but this should work:

def foo():
    foo.counter += 1
    print "Counter is %d" % foo.counter
foo.counter = 0

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

def static_var(varname, value):
    def decorate(func):
        setattr(func, varname, value)
        return func
    return decorate

Then use the code like this:

@static_var("counter", 0)
def foo():
    foo.counter += 1
    print "Counter is %d" % foo.counter

It'll still require you to use the foo. prefix, unfortunately.

---

EDIT (thanks to ony): This looks even nicer:

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

@static_vars(counter=0)
def foo():
    foo.counter += 1
    print "Counter is %d" % foo.counter

Answer 4

Other answers have demonstrated the way you should do this. Here's a way you shouldn't:

>>> def foo(counter=[0]):
...   counter[0] += 1
...   print("Counter is %i." % counter[0]);
... 
>>> foo()
Counter is 1.
>>> foo()
Counter is 2.
>>> 

Default values are initialized only when the function is first evaluated, not each time it is executed, so you can use a list or any other mutable object to store static values.

Answer 5

_counter = 0
def foo():
   global _counter
   _counter += 1
   print 'counter is', _counter

Python customarily uses underscores to indicate private variables. The only reason in C to declare the static variable inside the function is to hide it outside the function, which is not really idiomatic Python.

Answer 6

I personally prefer the following to decorators. To each their own.

def staticize(name, factory):
    """Makes a pseudo-static variable in calling function.

    If name `name` exists in calling function, return it. 
    Otherwise, saves return value of `factory()` in 
    name `name` of calling function and return it.

    :param name: name to use to store static object 
    in calling function
    :type name: String
    :param factory: used to initialize name `name` 
    in calling function
    :type factory: function
    :rtype: `type(factory())`

    >>> def steveholt(z):
    ...     a = staticize('a', list)
    ...     a.append(z)
    >>> steveholt.a
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
    AttributeError: 'function' object has no attribute 'a'
    >>> steveholt(1)
    >>> steveholt.a
    [1]
    >>> steveholt('a')
    >>> steveholt.a
    [1, 'a']
    >>> steveholt.a = []
    >>> steveholt.a
    []
    >>> steveholt('zzz')
    >>> steveholt.a
    ['zzz']

    """
    from inspect import stack
    # get scope enclosing calling function
    calling_fn_scope = stack()[2][0]
    # get calling function
    calling_fn_name = stack()[1][3]
    calling_fn = calling_fn_scope.f_locals[calling_fn_name]
    if not hasattr(calling_fn, name):
        setattr(calling_fn, name, factory())
    return getattr(calling_fn, name)