# `symtable` — Access to the compiler’s symbol tables

Source code: Lib/symtable.py

Symbol tables are generated by the compiler from AST just before bytecode is generated. The symbol table is responsible for calculating the scope of every identifier in the code. `symtable` provides an interface to examine these tables.

## Generating Symbol Tables

symtable.symtable(code, filename, compile_type)

  Return the toplevel `SymbolTable` for the Python source code. filename is the name of the file containing the code. compile_type is like the mode argument to `compile()`.

## Examining Symbol Tables

class symtable.SymbolTable

  A namespace table for a block. The constructor is not public.

  get_type()

    Return the type of the symbol table. Possible values are `'class'`, `'module'`, and `'function'`.

  get_id()

    Return the table’s identifier.

  get_name()

    Return the table’s name. This is the name of the class if the table is for a class, the name of the function if the table is for a function, or `'top'` if the table is global (`get_type()` returns `'module'`).

  get_lineno()

    Return the number of the first line in the block this table represents.

  is_optimized()

    Return `True` if the locals in this table can be optimized.

  is_nested()

    Return `True` if the block is a nested class or function.

  has_children()

    Return `True` if the block has nested namespaces within it. These can be obtained with `get_children()`.

  get_identifiers()

    Return a view object containing the names of symbols in the table. See the documentation of view objects.

  lookup(name)

    Lookup name in the table and return a `Symbol` instance.

  get_symbols()

    Return a list of `Symbol` instances for names in the table.

  get_children()

    Return a list of the nested symbol tables.

class symtable.Function

  A namespace for a function or method. This class inherits from `SymbolTable`.

  get_parameters()

    Return a tuple containing names of parameters to this function.

  get_locals()

    Return a tuple containing names of locals in this function.

  get_globals()

    Return a tuple containing names of globals in this function.

  get_nonlocals()

    Return a tuple containing names of nonlocals in this function.

  get_frees()

    Return a tuple containing names of free variables in this function.

class symtable.Class

  A namespace of a class. This class inherits from `SymbolTable`.

  get_methods()

    Return a tuple containing the names of methods declared in the class.

class symtable.Symbol

  An entry in a `SymbolTable` corresponding to an identifier in the source. The constructor is not public.

  get_name()

    Return the symbol’s name.

  is_referenced()

    Return `True` if the symbol is used in its block.

  is_imported()

    Return `True` if the symbol is created from an import statement.

  is_parameter()

    Return `True` if the symbol is a parameter.

  is_global()

    Return `True` if the symbol is global.

  is_nonlocal()

    Return `True` if the symbol is nonlocal.

  is_declared_global()

    Return `True` if the symbol is declared global with a global statement.

  is_local()

    Return `True` if the symbol is local to its block.

  is_annotated()

    Return `True` if the symbol is annotated.

    New in version 3.6.

  is_free()

    Return `True` if the symbol is referenced in its block, but not assigned to.

  is_assigned()

    Return `True` if the symbol is assigned to in its block.

  is_namespace()

    Return `True` if name binding introduces new namespace.

    If the name is used as the target of a function or class statement, this will be true.

    For example:

        >>> table = symtable.symtable("def some_func(): pass", "string", "exec")
        >>> table.lookup("some_func").is_namespace()
        True

    Note that a single name can be bound to multiple objects. If the result is `True`, the name may also be bound to other objects, like an int or list, that does not introduce a new namespace.

  get_namespaces()

    Return a list of namespaces bound to this name.

  get_namespace()

    Return the namespace bound to this name. If more than one or no namespace is bound to this name, a `ValueError` is raised.