In Python, is it possible to access the global namespace from within a function

Question

I'm learning Python coming from a good background with other languages. My question is mostly academic, as I know that what I'm asking is seldom needed and is definitely not a good programming practice.

Here is what I'm asking:

x = 'global scope'      # global
def func():
    x = 'local scope'   # global x is now shadowed
    print(global x)     # is this somehow possible?

Attempt #1

def attempt1():
    x = 'local scope'   # shadowded
    global x
    print(x)            # error

This results in an error: name 'x' is assigned to before global declaration.

Attempt #2

def attempt2():
    x = 'local scope'   # shadowded
    print(__main__.x)   # error: __main__ not defined

The Python documentation on namespaces states suggest that #2 (or something like it) should be possible. See Python Tutorial 9.2

"The statements executed by the top-level invocation of the interpreter, either read from a script file or interactively, are considered part of a module called __main__, so they have their own global namespace."

However attempting to access __main__ from either a script or the console results in an error. Also, the global attribute __name__ refers to the outermost module as __builtins__, but this only contains the built-in variables, not any user defined global ones. If the variable were delcared in an outside module, one that had been imported, it could be accessed with __module_name__.variable.

Answer 1

try globals():

x = 'global scope'      # global
def func():
    x = 'local scope'   # global x is now shadowed
    print(globals()['x'])     # is this somehow possible?


func()