Listing variables

[Tim Chase]

> Say that a have:
> 
> # file test.py
> a=7
> 
> 
> At the prompt:
> import test
> dir()
> 
> I would like to see the variables created in the test namespace.
> However, variable "a" does not appear in the list, only "test". Since
> I know that var "a" is reachable from the prompt by means of test.a,
> how can I list this sort of variables?

   dir(test)

works for any scope you want (except in some C modules...was 
peeved at mod_python for this reason when I was playing with it a 
while back).  I use this for debugging all the time:

   dir(foo.bar.whatever)

or if I want to remember some less-used method on a string/list/dict:

   dir("")
   dir([])
   dir({})

-tkc