How do I create a constant in Python?

Question

Is there a way to declare a constant in Python? In Java we can create constant values in this manner:

public static final String CONST_NAME = "Name";

What is the equivalent of the above Java constant declaration in Python?

Answer 1

You can emulate constant variables with help of the next class. An example of usage:

# Const
const = Const().add(two=2, three=3)

print 'const.two: ', const.two
print 'const.three: ', const.three

const.add(four=4)

print 'const.four: ', const.four

#const.four = 5 # a error here: four is a constant

const.add(six=6)

print 'const.six: ', const.six

const2 = Const().add(five=5) # creating a new namespace with Const()
print 'const2.five: ', const2.five
#print 'const2.four: ', const2.four # a error here: four does not exist in const2 namespace

const2.add(five=26)

Call the constructor when you want to start a new constant namespace. Note that the class is under protection from unexpected modifying sequence type constants when Martelli's const class is not.

The source is below.

from copy import copy

class Const(object):
"A class to create objects with constant fields."

def __init__(self):
    object.__setattr__(self, '_names', [])


def add(self, **nameVals):
    for name, val in nameVals.iteritems():          
        if hasattr(self, name):
            raise ConstError('A field with a name \'%s\' is already exist in Const class.' % name)

        setattr(self, name, copy(val)) # set up getter

        self._names.append(name)

    return self


def __setattr__(self, name, val):
    if name in self._names:
        raise ConstError('You cannot change a value of a stored constant.')

    object.__setattr__(self, name, val)

Answer 2

A tuple technically qualifies as a constant, as a tuple will raise an error if you try to change one of its values. If you want to declare a tuple with one value, then place a comma after its only value, like this:

my_tuple = (0 """Or any other value""",)

To check this variable's value, use something similar to this:

if my_tuple[0] == 0:
    #Code goes here

If you attempt to change this value, an error will be raised.

Answer 3

Unfortunately the Python has no constants so yet and it is shame. ES6 already added support constants to JavaScript (https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/const) since it is a very useful thing in any programming language. As answered in other answers in Python community use the convention - user uppercase variable as constants, but it does not protect against arbitrary errors in code. If you like, you may be found useful a single-file solution as next (see docstrings how use it).

file constants.py

import collections


__all__ = ('const', )


class Constant(object):
    """
    Implementation strict constants in Python 3.

    A constant can be set up, but can not be changed or deleted.
    Value of constant may any immutable type, as well as list or set.
    Besides if value of a constant is list or set, it will be converted in an immutable type as next:
        list -> tuple
        set -> frozenset
    Dict as value of a constant has no support.

    >>> const = Constant()
    >>> del const.temp
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    NameError: name 'temp' is not defined
    >>> const.temp = 1
    >>> const.temp = 88
    Traceback (most recent call last):
        ...
    TypeError: Constanst can not be changed
    >>> del const.temp
    Traceback (most recent call last):
        ...
    TypeError: Constanst can not be deleted
    >>> const.I = ['a', 1, 1.2]
    >>> print(const.I)
    ('a', 1, 1.2)
    >>> const.F = {1.2}
    >>> print(const.F)
    frozenset([1.2])
    >>> const.D = dict()
    Traceback (most recent call last):
        ...
    TypeError: dict can not be used as constant
    >>> del const.UNDEFINED
    Traceback (most recent call last):
        ...
    NameError: name 'UNDEFINED' is not defined
    >>> const()
    {'I': ('a', 1, 1.2), 'temp': 1, 'F': frozenset([1.2])}
    """

    def __setattr__(self, name, value):
        """Declaration a constant with value. If mutable - it will be converted to immutable, if possible.
        If the constant already exists, then made prevent againt change it."""

        if name in self.__dict__:
            raise TypeError('Constanst can not be changed')

        if not isinstance(value, collections.Hashable):
            if isinstance(value, list):
                value = tuple(value)
            elif isinstance(value, set):
                value = frozenset(value)
            elif isinstance(value, dict):
                raise TypeError('dict can not be used as constant')
            else:
                raise ValueError('Muttable or custom type is not supported')
        self.__dict__[name] = value

    def __delattr__(self, name):
        """Deny against deleting a declared constant."""

        if name in self.__dict__:
            raise TypeError('Constanst can not be deleted')
        raise NameError("name '%s' is not defined" % name)

    def __call__(self):
        """Return all constans."""

        return self.__dict__


const = Constant()


if __name__ == '__main__':
    import doctest
    doctest.testmod()

If this is not enough, see full testcase for it.

import decimal
import uuid
import datetime
import unittest

from ..constants import Constant


class TestConstant(unittest.TestCase):
    """
    Test for implementation constants in the Python
    """

    def setUp(self):

        self.const = Constant()

    def tearDown(self):

        del self.const

    def test_create_constant_with_different_variants_of_name(self):

        self.const.CONSTANT = 1
        self.assertEqual(self.const.CONSTANT, 1)
        self.const.Constant = 2
        self.assertEqual(self.const.Constant, 2)
        self.const.ConStAnT = 3
        self.assertEqual(self.const.ConStAnT, 3)
        self.const.constant = 4
        self.assertEqual(self.const.constant, 4)
        self.const.co_ns_ta_nt = 5
        self.assertEqual(self.const.co_ns_ta_nt, 5)
        self.const.constant1111 = 6
        self.assertEqual(self.const.constant1111, 6)

    def test_create_and_change_integer_constant(self):

        self.const.INT = 1234
        self.assertEqual(self.const.INT, 1234)
        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.INT = .211

    def test_create_and_change_float_constant(self):

        self.const.FLOAT = .1234
        self.assertEqual(self.const.FLOAT, .1234)
        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.FLOAT = .211

    def test_create_and_change_list_constant_but_saved_as_tuple(self):

        self.const.LIST = [1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today(), [], {}]
        self.assertEqual(self.const.LIST, (1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today(), [], {}))

        self.assertTrue(isinstance(self.const.LIST, tuple))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.LIST = .211

    def test_create_and_change_none_constant(self):

        self.const.NONE = None
        self.assertEqual(self.const.NONE, None)
        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.NONE = .211

    def test_create_and_change_boolean_constant(self):

        self.const.BOOLEAN = True
        self.assertEqual(self.const.BOOLEAN, True)
        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.BOOLEAN = False

    def test_create_and_change_string_constant(self):

        self.const.STRING = "Text"
        self.assertEqual(self.const.STRING, "Text")

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.STRING += '...'

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.STRING = 'TEst1'

    def test_create_dict_constant(self):

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'dict can not be used as constant'):
            self.const.DICT = {}

    def test_create_and_change_tuple_constant(self):

        self.const.TUPLE = (1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today(), [], {})
        self.assertEqual(self.const.TUPLE, (1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today(), [], {}))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.TUPLE = 'TEst1'

    def test_create_and_change_set_constant(self):

        self.const.SET = {1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today()}
        self.assertEqual(self.const.SET, {1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today()})

        self.assertTrue(isinstance(self.const.SET, frozenset))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.SET = 3212

    def test_create_and_change_frozenset_constant(self):

        self.const.FROZENSET = frozenset({1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today()})
        self.assertEqual(self.const.FROZENSET, frozenset({1, .2, None, True, datetime.date.today()}))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.FROZENSET = True

    def test_create_and_change_date_constant(self):

        self.const.DATE = datetime.date(1111, 11, 11)
        self.assertEqual(self.const.DATE, datetime.date(1111, 11, 11))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.DATE = True

    def test_create_and_change_datetime_constant(self):

        self.const.DATETIME = datetime.datetime(2000, 10, 10, 10, 10)
        self.assertEqual(self.const.DATETIME, datetime.datetime(2000, 10, 10, 10, 10))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.DATETIME = None

    def test_create_and_change_decimal_constant(self):

        self.const.DECIMAL = decimal.Decimal(13123.12312312321)
        self.assertEqual(self.const.DECIMAL, decimal.Decimal(13123.12312312321))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.DECIMAL = None

    def test_create_and_change_timedelta_constant(self):

        self.const.TIMEDELTA = datetime.timedelta(days=45)
        self.assertEqual(self.const.TIMEDELTA, datetime.timedelta(days=45))

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.TIMEDELTA = 1

    def test_create_and_change_uuid_constant(self):

        value = uuid.uuid4()
        self.const.UUID = value
        self.assertEqual(self.const.UUID, value)

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be changed'):
            self.const.UUID = []

    def test_try_delete_defined_const(self):

        self.const.VERSION = '0.0.1'
        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(TypeError, 'Constanst can not be deleted'):
            del self.const.VERSION

    def test_try_delete_undefined_const(self):

        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(NameError, "name 'UNDEFINED' is not defined"):
            del self.const.UNDEFINED

    def test_get_all_defined_constants(self):

        self.assertDictEqual(self.const(), {})

        self.const.A = 1
        self.assertDictEqual(self.const(), {'A': 1})

        self.const.B = "Text"
        self.assertDictEqual(self.const(), {'A': 1, 'B': "Text"})

Advantages: 1. Access to all constants for whole project 2. Strict control for values of constants

Lacks: 1. Not support for custom types and the type 'dict'

Notes:

1. Tested with Python3.4 and Python3.5 (I am use the 'tox' for it)

2. Testing environment:

.

$ uname -a
Linux wlysenko-Aspire 3.13.0-37-generic #64-Ubuntu SMP Mon Sep 22 21:28:38 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Answer 4

Here's a trick if you want constants and don't care their values:

Just define empty classes.

e.g:

class RED: 
    pass
class BLUE: 
    pass

Answer 5

No there is not. You cannot declare a variable or value as constant in Python. Just don't change it.

If you are in a class, the equivalent would be:

class Foo(object):
    CONST_NAME = "Name"

if not, it is just

CONST_NAME = "Name"

But you might want to have a look at the code snippet Constants in Python by Alex Martelli.

Answer 6

The Pythonic way of declaring "constants" is basically a module level variable:

RED = 1
GREEN = 2
BLUE = 3

And then write your classes or functions. Since constants are almost always integers, and they are also immutable in Python, you have a very little chance of altering it.

Unless, of course, if you explicitly set RED = 2.