What is the Python equivalent of static variables inside a function?

Question

What is the idiomatic Python equivalent of this C/C++ code?

void foo()
{
    static int counter = 0;
    counter++;
          


        

Answer 1

Here is a fully encapsulated version that doesn't require an external initialization call:

def fn():
    fn.counter=vars(fn).setdefault('counter',-1)
    fn.counter+=1
    print (fn.counter)

In Python, functions are objects and we can simply add, or monkey patch, member variables to them via the special attribute __dict__. The built-in vars() returns the special attribute __dict__.

EDIT: Note, unlike the alternative try:except AttributeError answer, with this approach the variable will always be ready for the code logic following initialization. I think the try:except AttributeError alternative to the following will be less DRY and/or have awkward flow:

def Fibonacci(n):
   if n<2: return n
   Fibonacci.memo=vars(Fibonacci).setdefault('memo',{}) # use static variable to hold a results cache
   return Fibonacci.memo.setdefault(n,Fibonacci(n-1)+Fibonacci(n-2)) # lookup result in cache, if not available then calculate and store it

EDIT2: I only recommend the above approach when the function will be called from multiple locations. If instead the function is only called in one place, it's better to use nonlocal:

def TheOnlyPlaceStaticFunctionIsCalled():
    memo={}
    def Fibonacci(n):
       nonlocal memo  # required in Python3. Python2 can see memo
       if n<2: return n
       return memo.setdefault(n,Fibonacci(n-1)+Fibonacci(n-2))
    ...
    print (Fibonacci(200))
    ...