Do you recommend me to write ( if __name__ == '__main__': ) every time

Question

Do you recommend me to write ( if __name__ == '__main__': ) every time I write a python code - always -? Consider that I wrote "__" around name.

Rajanikant Hawaldar · Answer

While Python interpreter reads a source file, it does two things: 1)it sets a few special variables like __name__, and then 2)it executes all of the code found in the file. every Python module has it’s __name__ defined and if this is ‘__main__’, it implies that the module is being run standalone by the user and we can do corresponding appropriate actions. If you import this script as a module in another script, the __name__ is set to the name of the script/module. Python files can act as either reusable modules, or as standalone programs. if __name__ == “main”: is used to execute some code only if the file was run directly, and not imported.

Smitha Jain · Answer

Thanks I will read about it

Smitha Jain · Answer

is there any advantage of main? Or it just makes code looks elegant?

Rajanikant Hawaldar · Answer

I know that *sigh

Smitha Jain · Answer

I did made a model without main and it worked well

Rajanikant Hawaldar · Answer

suppose you have some functions inside your a.py and you have called one of them inside your a.py just for checking if it works well and you have another module b.py and if you import a inside your b.py then the function which you have used in a.py would be executed!

Smitha Jain · Answer

I always see many Devs use def and main in their code

Rajanikant Hawaldar · Answer

not always , when I want to test one of the functions of my module I use __main__

Smitha Jain · Answer

you mean always?

Rajanikant Hawaldar · Answer

yes

Do you recommend me to write ( if name == 'main': ) every time

Answers (10)