Variable name from list as string

Question

I have been looking for a way to get a variable name in an array as string. eg.:

a = ['1x', '2y', '3z']
b = ['1xx', '2yy', '3zz']
c = ['1xxx', '2yyy', '3zzz']
arr = [a, b, c]
    
for x in arr:
    print('Currently executing: ', x)
    for e in x:
        print('Return Value: ', e)
    
>>Currently executing: a
>>Return Value: 1x
>>Return Value: 2y
>>Return Value: 3z
>>Currently executing: b
>>Return Value: 1xx
>>Return Value: 2yy
>>Return Value: 3zz
>>Currently executing: c
>>Return Value: 1xxx
>>Return Value: 2yyy
>>Return Value: 3zzz

So far, I have been unsuccessful in my search. There are answers posted on this problem with variables outside of arrays, but I have yet been able to transform them to my context. (eg: How to print original variable's name in Python after it was returned from a function?)

Update

I've tried the vars()[name] in a few different ways, but none are working. I don't think I understand the implementation in my context. Can you elaborate?

print(vars()[arr])
print(vars()[x])
print(vars()[e])

All return :

Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:/Users/wxy/Desktop/thread_test.py", line 9, in print('Return Value: ', vars()[arr]) TypeError: unhashable type: 'list'

You need to keep track of this string yourself. Barring various hacks and tricks, the way to do this correctly is to group the data that you want together using the appropriate data structure. variables are for programmers reading and writing source code, they shouldn't be considered program data. There are various approaches here, you could use a dict that maps strings to lists, or a list of tuples, arr = [('a', a), ('b', b), ('c', c)]. Or create a custom class, with a name attribute and .arr attribute and put that in a list. — juanpa.arrivillaga
– juanpa.arrivillaga, Commented Jan 31, 2021 at 19:58
Very good example to "making things more complicated than they need to be". Just use a dictionary. Get the keys and the values from wherever you want them from and update the dict accordingly. — Ezio
– Ezio, Commented Feb 1, 2021 at 5:16

Danny Varod · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-01 09:00:56Z

1

vars()[name] or globals()[name] depending on scope on variable but do not do this! Instead return a Dict or a Tuple.

edited Feb 1, 2021 at 9:00

answered Jan 31, 2021 at 20:38

Danny Varod

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D_C · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-01 05:07:19Z

0

I just re-tried a solution already posted answer for my context

a = ['1x', '2y', '3z']
b = ['1xx', '2yy', '3zz']
c = ['1xxx', '2yyy', '3zzz']
arr = [a, b, c]

for name in arr:
    xx = [tpl[0] for tpl in filter(lambda x: name is x[1], globals().items())][0]
    print(xx)

>>a
>>b
>>c

answered Feb 1, 2021 at 5:07

D_C

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