Main function decorator (for Python 2 and 3).

automain.py

import inspect

def main(function):

    locale = inspect.stack()[1][0].f_locals
    module = locale.get("__name__", None)

    if module == "__main__":
        locale[function.__name__] = function
        function()

    return function

Features

Any functions decorated by main are automatically invoked if they are in a top-level script, else the decorator does nothing.

• You can decorate more than one function.
• More than one decorated function can be in the same file.
• You can call the decorated function recursively.
• Decorated functions can also be called like normal functions.

The idea was taken from automain by Gerald Kaszuba. It's been tweaked to allow the decorated function to be called recursively and repeatedly.

Use

First, import the decorator:

from automain import main

If this code is in the top level script, the function will be invoked automatically:

@main
def f(): print("hello world")

The decorator works with recursive functions:

@main
def f(n=3):
    print(n)
    if n: f(n - 1)

You can call decorated functions normally:

f(10)

Is this still working with Python 3.8? I tried to get it running but it seemed to have no effect.

I haven't used it for years to be honest. I tested it before posting it, but that was ages ago.

The following modifications work fine for me under 3.10.5

from inspect import stack

def automain( func ) :
  locale = stack()[ 1 ].frame.f_locals
  module = locale.get( '__name__', None )
  if module == '__main__' :
    locale[ func.__name__ ] = func
    func()
  return func