[New-bugs-announce] [issue45492] stdlib inspect documentation on code.co_names is incorrect

[Dutcho]

New submission from Dutcho <dutcho at ziggo.nl>:

The standard library documentation on module inspect starts with an overview of types and attributes. This overview (in all Python versions) states:
    code.co_names: tuple of names of local variables
    code.co_varnames: tuple of names of arguments and local variables
That suggests the argument names are set(code.co_varnames) - set(code.co_names), which is incorrect.

I think the attribute description should be:
    code.co_names: tuple of names of used global and built-in variables

>>> def f(x): a = 1; print(f, a)
>>> assert f.__code__.co_varnames == ('x', 'a')  # argument and local, in that order
>>> assert set(f.__code__.co_names) == set(('f', 'print'))  # global and built-in (don't care order), not local

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assignee: docs at python
components: Documentation
messages: 404068
nosy: Dutcho, docs at python
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: stdlib inspect documentation on code.co_names is incorrect
versions: Python 3.10, Python 3.11, Python 3.6, Python 3.7, Python 3.8, Python 3.9

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue45492>
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