What are the different possible values for __name__ in a Python script, and what do they mean?

Question

Checking to see if __name__ == '__main__' is a common idiom to run some code when the file is being called directly, rather than through a module.

In the process of writing a custom command for Django's manage.py, I found myself needing to use code.InteractiveConsole, which gives the effect to the user of a standard python shell. In some test code I was doing, I found that in the script I'm trying to execute, I get that __name__ is __console__, which caused my code (dependent on __main__) to not run.

I'm fairly certain that I have some things in my original implementation to change, but it got me wondering as to what different things __name__ could be. I couldn't find any documentation on the possible values, nor what they mean, so that's how I ended up here.

Answer 1

__name__ is usually the module name, but it's changed to '__main__' when the module in question is executed directly instead of being imported by another one.

I understand that other values can only be set directly by the code you're running.

Answer 2

from the document of class code.InteractiveInterpreter([locals]):
The optional locals argument specifies the dictionary in which code will be executed; it defaults to a newly created dictionary with key '__name__' set to '__console__' and key '__doc__' set to None. maybe u can turnning the locals argument, set __name__ with __main__, or change the test clause from

if __name__ == '__main__'
to  
if __name__ in set(["__main__", "__console__"])

Hope it helps.