type(foo) == function ?

[Erik Max Francis]

Hi Tom.

Tom Plunket wrote:

> I'd like to figure out if a given parameter is a function or not.
> 
> E.g.
> 
>>>> type(1)
> <type 'int'>
>>>> type(1) == int
> True
> 
> implies:
> 
>>>> def foo():
> ...   pass
> ...
>>>> type(foo)
> <type 'function'>
>>>> type(foo) == function
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<stdin>", line 1, in ?
> NameError: name 'function' is not defined
> 
> Is there a way I can know if 'foo' is a function?

The type of a function is types.FunctionType:

 >>> import types
 >>> types.FunctionType
<type 'function'>
 >>> def f(): pass
...
 >>> type(f)
<type 'function'>
 >>> type(f) is types.FunctionType
True

However, this doesn't take into account methods (MethodType and 
UnboundMethodType).  In dynamically-typed languages in general, explicit 
typechecks are not a good idea, since they often preclude user-defined 
objects from being used.  Instead, try performing the call and catch the 
resulting TypeError:

 >>> f = 'asdf'
 >>> try:
...  f()
... except TypeError:
...  print "oops, f is not callable"
...
oops, f is not callable

-- 
Erik Max Francis && max at alcyone.com && http://www.alcyone.com/max/
  San Jose, CA, USA && 37 20 N 121 53 W && AIM, Y!M erikmaxfrancis
   There are not fifty ways of fighting, there is only one: to be the
    conqueror. -- Andrew Malraux, 1937