How to get/set local variables of a function (from outside) in Python?

Question

If I have a function (in Python 2.5.2) like:

def sample_func():
    a = 78
    b = range(5)
    #c = a + b[2] - x

My questions are:

Answer 1

Not sure if this is what you mean, but as functions are objects in Python you can bind variables to a function object and access them from 'outside':

def fa():
    print 'x value of fa() when entering fa(): %s' % fa.x
    print 'y value of fb() when entering fa(): %s' % fb.y
    fa.x += fb.y
    print 'x value of fa() after calculation in fa(): %s' % fa.x
    print 'y value of fb() after calculation in fa(): %s' % fb.y
    fa.count +=1


def fb():
    print 'y value of fb() when entering fb(): %s' % fb.y
    print 'x value of fa() when entering fa(): %s' % fa.x
    fb.y += fa.x
    print 'y value of fb() after calculation in fb(): %s' % fb.y
    print 'x value of fa() after calculation in fb(): %s' % fa.x
    print 'From fb() is see fa() has been called %s times' % fa.count


fa.x,fb.y,fa.count = 1,1,1

for i in range(10):
    fa()
    fb()

Please excuse me if I am terribly wrong... I´m a Python and programming beginner myself...