[Tutor] exec('a=1') in functions

[Mark Lawrence]

On 17/08/2021 17:37, Jan Kenin wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> in python 2.7 the following code works:
>  >>> def f( b ):
> ...     exec( 'a=%s'%b )
> ...     print 'a=', a
> ...
>  >>> f( 1 )
> a= 1
> 
> in python3.6 this works in the interpreter:
>  >>> b=1
>  >>> exec('a=%s'%b)
>  >>> a
> 1
> 
> but not in a function:
>  >>> def f( b ):
> ...     exec( 'a=%s'%b )
> ...     print( 'a=', a )
> ...
>  >>> f( 1 )
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>    File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
>    File "<stdin>", line 3, in f
> NameError: name 'a' is not defined
> 
> How can I get the latter working?
> 
> Thanks for all advice!
> Jan

Quite frankly I've no idea, but even if I did know I'd advise you not to 
use it.  See e.g. 
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1933451/why-should-exec-and-eval-be-avoided

-- 
My fellow Pythonistas, ask not what our language can do for you, ask
what you can do for our language.

Mark Lawrence