If a variable has the same name locally and globally, what happens

Local vs global variables in Python: Name conflict

If a variable has the same name both locally (inside a function) and globally (outside the function), Python will prioritize the local variable over the global one when accessed inside the function.

When a variable is referenced inside a function, Python searches for a local variable with that name first. If it finds a local variable, it will use its value, even if there is a global variable with the same name.

Example:?

# Declare a global variable
global_var = 200 
def test_function():
    # This is a local variable with the same name as the global variable
    global_var = 500  
    print("Inside the function:", global_var)

test_function()  # Output: Inside the function: 500

# Output: Outside the function: 200 
# (global_var remains unchanged)
print("Outside the function:", global_var)  

In the example above, the function "test_function()" defines a local variable 'global_var' with a value of 500. When we print the value of 'global_var' inside the function, it uses the value of the local variable (500). However, when we print the value of 'global_var' outside the function, it uses the value of the global variable (200), as the local variable is no longer in scope.

To modify the global variable from within the function, we can use the "global" keyword. Here is the example:

# Declare a global variable
global_var = 200 
def test_function():
    # This is a local variable with the same name as the global variable
    global global_var
    global_var = 500  
    print("Inside the function:", global_var)
test_function()  # Output: Inside the function: 500
# Output: Outside the function: 500 (global_var changed)
print("Outside the function:", global_var)  

Output:

Inside the function: 500
Outside the function: 500