Unlock Hidden Python Tricks: Variable Arguments, Glob, Debugging, UUID, Serialization & More

Functions with Arbitrary Number of Arguments

Python not only supports optional parameters but also lets you define functions that accept any number of positional or keyword arguments using *args and **kwargs. An example demonstrates how a tuple can capture these extra values.

Using glob() to Find Files

The glob() function works like an enhanced listdir(), allowing pattern‑based file searches. You can retrieve multiple file types with a single call and obtain absolute paths by applying os.path.realpath() to the results.

Debugging with the inspect Module

The inspect module provides powerful introspection tools useful for debugging. While the article does not cover every feature, it shows practical use‑cases for examining stack frames and source code.

Generating Unique IDs

Instead of misusing md5(), Python offers the uuid module to create universally unique identifiers. The generated strings incorporate the host’s MAC address, which can lead to similar trailing characters; using additional functions can reduce collisions.

Serialization

Python provides native serialization (e.g., pickle) for storing complex objects, but JSON has become popular for its compactness and cross‑language compatibility. Converting objects to JSON is straightforward, though some information may be lost for very complex types.

Compressing Characters

Beyond file compression formats like ZIP, Python can compress long strings directly using modules such as zlib, allowing efficient storage without creating separate archive files.

Registering Shutdown Functions

The atexit module lets you register callbacks that run when a script terminates, regardless of whether it ends normally, encounters a fatal error, or is interrupted. This ensures cleanup or benchmarking code always executes.