In many Python modules you can find construction like:
if __name__ == "__main__":
func()
Its main purpose is to dedicate a code which will be executed during calling code as a module, after importing it into another code – and when running module itself as a dedicated script.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
Script 1:
#!/usr/bin/env python
print('Script 1. My name is: %s' % __name__)
print('This is simple code from script 1')
def func():
print('This is code from function from script 1')
if __name__ == "__main__":
func()
And Script 2:
#!/usr/bin/env python
print('Script2. My name is: %s' % __name__)
print('Importing ifname1')
import ifname1
The execution result of the Script 2 directly:
[simterm]
$ ./ifname2.py Script2. My name is: __main__ Importing ifname1 Script 1. My name is: ifname1 This is simple code from script 1
[/simterm]
The execution result of the Script 1 directly:
[simterm]
$ ./ifname1.py Script 1. My name is: __main__ This is simple code from script 1 This is code from function from script 1
[/simterm]
Another example.
Script 1:
#!/usr/bin/env python
if __name__ == "__main__":
print('I am running as an independent program with name = %s' % __name__)
else:
print('I am running as an imported module with name = %s' % __name__)
And Script 2 – no changes:
#!/usr/bin/env python
print('Script2. My name is: %s' % __name__)
print('Importing ifname1')
import ifname1
Executing the Script 2 will give us the next result:
[simterm]
$ ./ifname2.py Script2. My name is: __main__ Importing ifname1 I am running as an imported module with name = ifname1
[/simterm]
While running the Script 1 – next:
[simterm]
$ ./ifname1.py I am running as an independent program with name = __main__
[/simterm]
