DevTut

# Accessing Python source code and bytecode

# Display the bytecode of a function

The Python interpreter compiles code to bytecode before executing it on the Python's virtual machine (see also What is python bytecode? (opens new window)).

Here's how to view the bytecode of a Python function

import dis

def fib(n):
    if n <= 2: return 1
    return fib(n-1) + fib(n-2)

# Display the disassembled bytecode of the function.
dis.dis(fib)

The function dis.dis (opens new window) in the dis module (opens new window) will return a decompiled bytecode of the function passed to it.

# Display the source code of an object

# Objects that are not built-in

To print the source code of a Python object use inspect. Note that this won't work for built-in objects nor for objects defined interactively. For these you will need other methods explained later.

Here's how to print the source code of the method randint from the random module:

import random
import inspect

print(inspect.getsource(random.randint)) 
# Output:
#    def randint(self, a, b):
#        """Return random integer in range [a, b], including both end points.
#        """
#
#        return self.randrange(a, b+1)

To just print the documentation string

print(inspect.getdoc(random.randint))
# Output:
# Return random integer in range [a, b], including both end points.

Print full path of the file where the method random.randint is defined:

print(inspect.getfile(random.randint))
# c:\Python35\lib\random.py
print(random.randint.__code__.co_filename) # equivalent to the above
# c:\Python35\lib\random.py

# Objects defined interactively

If an object is defined interactively inspect cannot provide the source code but you can use dill.source.getsource instead

# define a new function in the interactive shell
def add(a, b):
   return a + b
print(add.__code__.co_filename) # Output: <stdin> 

import dill
print dill.source.getsource(add)
# def add(a, b):
      return a + b

# Built-in objects

The source code for Python's built-in functions is written in c and can only be accessed by looking at the Python's source code (hosted on Mercurial (opens new window) or downloadable from https://www.python.org/downloads/source/) (opens new window)).

print(inspect.getsource(sorted)) # raises a TypeError
type(sorted) # <class 'builtin_function_or_method'>

# Exploring the code object of a function

CPython allows access to the code object for a function object.

The __code__object contains the raw bytecode (co_code) of the function as well as other information such as constants and variable names.

def fib(n):
    if n <= 2: return 1
    return fib(n-1) + fib(n-2)
dir(fib.__code__)

def fib(n):
    if n <= 2: return 1
    return fib(n-1) + fib(n-2)
dir(fib.__code__)

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