The Python __name__ variable is a special built-in variable that holds the name of the current imported module. When accessed within a Python script file that's executed directly (i.e. not a module), its value is the string "__main__". __name__ is most often used to differentiate between Python code that is run in a standalone script or code that's imported as a module.
A Python package is a directory that contains one or more modules. Python packages allow developers to structure their code into logical units, making it easier to manage, reuse, and share. They also facilitate the installation and distribution of Python code through tools like pip, making it simple for others to use your code in their projects.
It's possible to designate directories on disk in which Python searches for modules. Those directories and the sequence in which they are searched are called the Python module search path. When Python executes an import statement to load a module, it follows the search path to locate the module file.
Python modules play an important role in structuring and organizing code in Python projects. The previous lesson demonstrated how to import and use preexisting modules within your code. This lesson will explore how to create Python modules for organizing and reusing your code effectively.
Python modules are files containing code that can be used within other Python code files. They consist of Python statements and definitions, and allow you to organize code logically into reusable units. Modules help structure larger projects by breaking them into smaller, manageable components. This lesson covers importing Python modules, a process by which code in a module is inserted into another code file.
Python offers a diverse range of built-in exception types like TypeError and ValueError, addressing syntax and runtime errors from language operations and built-in functionalities like file I/O. However, for unique errors within your application, creating custom exceptions in Python enhances code clarity and maintainability, enabling encapsulation of domain-specific error conditions and informative error messaging for users or developers.
As in loops and conditionals, the else clause can be optionally added to a try-except statements as well. The else in try-except Python statements functions to execute a code block when an exception does not occur. Its purpose is to isolate only the code that is prone to causing the handled exception within the try block.
The Python finally clause is an option that can be added to try statement when handling exceptions. This clause allows you to define a code block that must be executed whether an exception occurs or not. It is useful for performing cleanup operations, such as closing a file.
In addition to handling exceptions raised by Python itself, you can also raise exceptions in your own code using the Python raise statement. This allows you to indicate that an error has occurred under certain conditions, even if it's not due to a runtime error generated by the Python system.
Exception handling is a mechanism to manage errors that arise during program execution, commonly referred to as runtime errors. Such errors, for example, can be file I/O operations, network requests, or mathematical calculations. In Python, try-except statements are employed to specify where you anticipate the errors to occur and how to handle them.
