introspection

In Python, introspection is the ability to examine an object’s type and properties at runtime. It lets you discover relevant information, such as an object’s class, attributes, and methods, when you don’t know its exact structure ahead of time. This is useful for debugging, testing, and building dynamic features.

Python supports quick introspection with built-ins like type(), dir(), vars(), and getattr().

For deeper inspection, like examining call signatures, fetching source code, or exploring the call stack, you can use Python’s inspect module, which provides specialized helpers for working with live objects.

>>> class Dog:
...     def __init__(self, name):
...         self.name = name
... 
...     def speak(self):
...         return "Woof Woof"
...

>>> buddy = Dog("Buddy")

>>> # Introspection
>>> type(buddy)
<class '__main__.Dog'>
>>> dir(buddy)
['__class__', '__delattr__', '__dict__', ..., 'name', 'speak']
>>> vars(buddy)
{'name': 'Buddy'}

Related Resources

Tutorial

Python's Built-in Exceptions: A Walkthrough With Examples

In this tutorial, you'll get to know some of the most commonly used built-in exceptions in Python. You'll learn when these exceptions can appear in your code and how to handle them. Finally, you'll learn how to raise some of these exceptions in your code.

intermediate python

For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources:

• Working With Python's Built-in Exceptions (Course)
• Python's Built-in Exceptions: A Walkthrough With Examples (Quiz)