gh-143504: Expose CELL status of a symbol in symtable by Yashp002 · Pull Request #143549 · python/cpython

Yashp002 · 2026-01-08T07:59:24Z

Expose cell status in symtable.Symbol via new is_cell() predicate and add get_cells() method to SymbolTable.

Changes

Added Symbol.is_cell() method that returns True if the symbol has the CELL flag.
Added SymbolTable.get_cells() method that returns an iterable of cell variable names.
Added test_cells to Lib/test/test_symtable.py to verify the new API.

Tests

Added test_cells test using a closure pattern (outer -> inner accessing x).

Issue: expose CELL status of a symbol in symtable #143504

Lib/symtable.py

Co-authored-by: AN Long <aisk@users.noreply.github.com>

Yashp002 · 2026-01-08T13:47:42Z

I'll fix this in a while, my apologies for quite a big fault in the code actually

iritkatriel · 2026-01-21T12:45:41Z

Lib/test/test_symtable.py

+        outer = find_block(top, "outer")
+        self.assertIn("x",outer.get_cells())
+        self.assertTrue(outer.lookup("x").is_cell())
+        self.assertFalse(outer.lookup("inner").is_cell())


Let's put this test next to test_free.

Lib/symtable.py

iritkatriel · 2026-01-21T12:51:42Z

Lib/symtable.py


+    def get_cells(self):
+        """Return a list of cell variable names in the table."""
+        return [s.get_name() for s in self.get_symbols() if s.is_cell()]


This probably belongs next to get_frees.

Yashp002 · 2026-01-21T18:00:46Z

@iritkatriel I was forced to force push the symtable branch due to me updating the branch before for the CI.

iritkatriel · 2026-01-21T18:37:01Z

Lib/symtable.py


+    def get_cells(self):
+        """Return a list of cell variable names in the table."""
+        return [s.get_name() for s in self.get_symbols() if s.is_cell()]


Why does this not follow the pattern of get_frees and get_nonlocals?

We'll have to use the _cells variable then, I'll add it.

iritkatriel · 2026-01-21T18:38:12Z

Lib/test/test_symtable.py

+        code="""def outer():
+                    x=1
+                    def inner():
+                        return x"""


the other tests don't do all this. Can we follow the same pattern in this one?

@iritkatriel I've implemented the change in symtable.py with get_cells

But the current test_cells seems to be the only one that keeps working after I've change it up quite a few times.

Is it really a requirement for it all to have the same pattern?

Unless there's a reason why we can't, then we should follow the same pattern. What's the difference between the cases?

self.internal has x as FREE var (for test_free). we need x as CELL var (outer scope). setUp doesn't have that so inline code is needed. However I've removed the unnecessary comments and changed the rest of it to

top=symtable.symtable(code,"?","exec") outer = find_block(top, "outer") self.assertEqual(outer.get_cells(), ["x"]) self.assertTrue(outer.lookup("x").is_cell()) self.assertFalse(outer.lookup("inner").is_cell()) to use assert.Equal,true and false like the rest of the functions. WOuld this be satisfactory as a commit?

self.spam.lookup("x").is_cell()

and get_cells test should be next to get_frees test.

and get_cells test should be next to get_frees test.

isn't test_cells already next to test_free?

iritkatriel · 2026-01-23T20:56:09Z

Lib/test/test_symtable.py

-        self.assertFalse(outer.lookup("inner").is_cell())
+        self.assertTrue(self.spam.lookup("x").is_cell())
+



get_cells is not tested at all.

Add it to test_function_info:

@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ def test_function_info(self): self.assertEqual(sorted(func.get_locals()), expected) self.assertEqual(sorted(func.get_globals()), ["bar", "glob", "some_assigned_global_var"]) self.assertEqual(self.internal.get_frees(), ("x",)) + self.assertEqual(self.spam.get_cells(), ("some_var", "x",))

Lib/symtable.py

picnixz · 2026-01-23T22:35:54Z

Can you also update symtable.rst? and add a What's New entry? (I did so for what I changed in 3.14)

And once you update the docs, update the NEWS entry to point them to

Lib/symtable.py

Lib/test/test_symtable.py

Co-authored-by: Irit Katriel <1055913+iritkatriel@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Bénédikt Tran <10796600+picnixz@users.noreply.github.com>

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-01-24-13-49-05.gh-issue-143594.nilGlg.rst

iritkatriel · 2026-01-24T09:42:10Z

Doc/library/symtable.rst


+   .. method:: get_cells()
+
+      Return a tuple containing the names of cell variables in this table.


try formatting like the entry for get_frees with :term:

Doc/library/symtable.rst

Doc/whatsnew/3.15.rst

iritkatriel · 2026-01-24T15:12:55Z

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-01-08-16-28-03.gh-issue-143504.PlC_Yv.rst

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add symtable.is_cell() and get_cells() methods for cell variable analysis.


There are two News files now

Co-authored-by: Irit Katriel <1055913+iritkatriel@users.noreply.github.com>

picnixz · 2026-01-24T16:19:38Z

Doc/library/symtable.rst

      Return a tuple containing names of :term:`free (closure) variables <closure variable>`
      in this function.

+   .. method:: get_cells()


Please add the versionadded directive as well

Doc/library/symtable.rst

picnixz · 2026-01-24T16:20:42Z

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-01-24-13-49-05.gh-issue-143594.nilGlg.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Add :meth:`symtable.Function.get_cells` and :meth:`symtable.Symbol.is_cell` methods.
+


Remove the extra empty line

Co-authored-by: Bénédikt Tran <10796600+picnixz@users.noreply.github.com>

Lib/symtable.py

Doc/library/symtable.rst

Co-authored-by: Irit Katriel <1055913+iritkatriel@users.noreply.github.com>

iritkatriel · 2026-01-25T13:18:31Z

Thank you @Yashp002

Yashp002 · 2026-01-25T13:22:56Z

@iritkatriel , @picnixz Thanks for the help

symtable commit

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Yashp002 changed the title ~~bpo-143504: Expose CELL status of a symbol in symtable (GH-143504)~~ gh-143504: Expose CELL status of a symbol in symtable (GH-143504) Jan 8, 2026

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expose CELL status of a symbol in symtable #143504

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picnixz changed the title ~~gh-143504: Expose CELL status of a symbol in symtable (GH-143504)~~ gh-143504: Expose CELL status of a symbol in symtable Jan 23, 2026

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		self.assertFalse(outer.lookup("inner").is_cell())
		self.assertTrue(self.spam.lookup("x").is_cell())


		.. method:: get_cells()

		Return a tuple containing the names of cell variables in this table.

		@@ -0,0 +1 @@
		Add symtable.is_cell() and get_cells() methods for cell variable analysis.

		@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
		Add :meth:`symtable.Function.get_cells` and :meth:`symtable.Symbol.is_cell` methods.

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