Python 2.7 quick reference

The purpose of the global statement is to declare that a function or method intends to change the value of a name from the global scope, that is, a name from outside the function.

When Python reads the definition of a function, it checks each name to see if that name's value may possibly be changed anywhere in the function—that is, if the name shows up on the left side of an assignment statement, or as the induction variable in a for loop, or in any other context where the name's value can be changed.

Such names are assumed to be local to the function unless you override this behavior by declaring that name in a global statement. Here is the general form:

global name1, name2, ...

Some conversational examples may help make this clear. Suppose you define a global variable x; you can use that name inside a function.

>>> x = 5
>>> def show1():
...     print x
... 
>>> show1()
5

However, if you assign a value to x inside the function, the name x is now local to the function. It is said to shadow the global variable with the same name, and any changes to the value associated with that name inside the function will operate on a local copy, and will not affect the value of the global variable x.

>>> x = 5
>>> def show2():
...     x = 42
...     print x
... 
>>> show2()
42
>>> x
5

But if you actually do want to change the value of the global variable inside the function, just declare it global like this:

>>> x = 5
>>> def show3():
...     global x
...     x = 42
...     print x
... 
>>> show3()
42
>>> x
42

Notice what happens in this case:

>>> x = 5
>>> def show4():
...     print x, "Before"
...     x = 42
...     print x, "After"
... 
>>> show4()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in show4
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'x' referenced before assignment

Because the line “x = 42” changes the value of x, and because it is not declared as a global, execution fails because the value of the local variable x is used before that variable has had a value assigned to it.