Python Module Attributes: Understanding __name__ and More

Learn about the attributes of Python modules, including the __name__ attribute which returns the name of the module. This guide provides an overview of useful module attributes and how they can be used to access information about modules in Python.

Python Module Attributes

Python modules have several attributes that describe them or provide useful information about the module.

__name__ Attribute

The __name__ attribute returns the name of the module.

import math
print(math.__name__)  # 'math'
        

In a custom module, such as calc:

import calc
print(calc.__name__)  # 'calc'
        

Modifying the __name__ attribute:

def SayHello(name):
    print("Hi {}! How are you?".format(name))
__name__ = "SayHello"
        

__doc__ Attribute

The __doc__ attribute holds the documentation string (docstring) of the module.

import math  

print(math.__doc__)
        

__file__ Attribute

The __file__ attribute holds the file path of the module.

import io

print(io.__file__)  # Output: 'C:\\python37\\lib\\io.py'
        

__dict__ Attribute

The __dict__ attribute returns a dictionary of all attributes and functions in a module.

import math

print(math.__dict__)
        

Using the dir() Function

The dir() function lists all attributes and functions in a module.

import math

print(dir(math))