CODEWITHSUNDEEP
python
Akshat Tripathi
Akshat Tripathi

Reputation: 25

Why use the __all__ variable in Python?

I know what it does, how it works and all, but why might we ever want to use it?

I mean if a programmer wanted to import the objects from a module, he could then just use the simple 

import <module>

syntax. It's not like the all variable is hiding anything, right?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 161

Answers (1)

Martijn Pieters
Martijn Pieters

Reputation: 1124000

from <module> import * and help(<module>) both use the __all__ attribute of a module to limit what is imported or documented.

Note that from <module> import * is generally considered bad practice unless you are building a central API for a package with the implementation dispersed over various contained modules.

Upvotes: 2

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