Python Sys Module

The sys module in Python provides a way to interact with the interpreter itself. It provides access to some variables used or maintained by the interpreter, as well as to functions that interact strongly with the interpreter.

Syntax

The sys module can be imported using the following syntax:

import sys

Example

import sys

print(sys.version)
print(sys.executable)
print(sys.path)

Output

3.9.7 (default, Sep 3 2021, 18:08:56) 
[Clang 12.0.5 (clang-1205.0.22.11)]
/opt/homebrew/bin/python3
[
    '/path/to/current/directory',
    '/usr/local/Cellar/python@3.9/3.9.7/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python39.zip',
    '/usr/local/Cellar/python@3.9/3.9.7/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9',
    '/usr/local/Cellar/python@3.9/3.9.7/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/lib-dynload',
    '/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages'
]

Explanation

• sys.version returns the version of Python that is currently running
• sys.executable returns the path of the Python interpreter
• sys.path is a list containing the directories and paths in which Python looks for modules that you import in your code

Use

The sys module can be used for various purposes, such as:

• Getting information about the interpreter version, path, etc., as shown in the example above.
• Changing the default encoding used by Python to read and write files.
• Exiting the program with a specified exit code.
• Redirecting the standard input, output, and error streams to a file or a stream.
• And more.

Important Points

• The sys module is part of the standard library and does not require installation.
• The values contained in sys.path can be modified at run time to change the order in which Python looks for modules to import.
• The functions provided by sys are generally used for advanced purposes and are not needed by most beginners.

Summary

The sys module in Python provides a way to interact with the interpreter itself. It allows you to get information about the interpreter version, path, etc., and perform advanced functions such as changing the default encoding, redirecting streams, and exiting the program with an exit code. The module is part of the standard library and does not require installation.