all Python 3Built-in functionsterm

locals

namespaces

Returns a dictionary of the current local namespace. At module level it is the very object globals() returns; inside a function it is a snapshot, not a reference.

Syntax

locals()

Inside a function the result is a snapshot: writing into that dict will not create or change a local variable, because there is no link back to the frame (Python 3.13 guarantees this via PEP 667; before that it was implementation-defined). At module level and in a class body locals() hands you the real namespace mapping, where writes do take effect — which is the usual source of confusion. Only names already assigned at the moment of the call show up inside a function.

Examples

def f():
    x = 10; y = 20
    return locals()
print(f())  # → {'x':10,'y':20}

def g(a, b):
    c = a+b
    print('c' in locals())  # → True
    return locals()
print(g(1,2))  # → {'a':1,'b':2,'c':3}
print(type(locals()))  # → <class 'dict'>

See also

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