Before we delve into the specifics, I want you to be very clear about objects in Python, so let's talk a little bit more about them. As we already said, everything in Python is an object. But what really happens when you type an instruction like age = 42
in a Python module?
Note
If you go to http://pythontutor.com/, you can type that instruction into a text box and get its visual representation. Keep this website in mind; it's very useful to consolidate your understanding of what goes on behind the scenes.
So, what happens is that an object is created. It gets an id
, the type
is set to int
(integer number), and the value
to 42
. A name age
is placed in the global namespace, pointing to that object. Therefore, whenever we are in the global namespace, after the execution of that line, we can retrieve that object by simply accessing it through its name: age
.
If you were to move house, you would put all the knives, forks, and spoons in a box and label it cutlery. Can you see...