What is the Python equivalent of static variables inside a function?

Question

What is the idiomatic Python equivalent of this C/C++ code?

void foo()
{
    static int counter = 0;
    counter++;
          


        

Answer 1

I personally prefer the following to decorators. To each their own.

def staticize(name, factory):
    """Makes a pseudo-static variable in calling function.

    If name `name` exists in calling function, return it. 
    Otherwise, saves return value of `factory()` in 
    name `name` of calling function and return it.

    :param name: name to use to store static object 
    in calling function
    :type name: String
    :param factory: used to initialize name `name` 
    in calling function
    :type factory: function
    :rtype: `type(factory())`

    >>> def steveholt(z):
    ...     a = staticize('a', list)
    ...     a.append(z)
    >>> steveholt.a
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
    AttributeError: 'function' object has no attribute 'a'
    >>> steveholt(1)
    >>> steveholt.a
    [1]
    >>> steveholt('a')
    >>> steveholt.a
    [1, 'a']
    >>> steveholt.a = []
    >>> steveholt.a
    []
    >>> steveholt('zzz')
    >>> steveholt.a
    ['zzz']

    """
    from inspect import stack
    # get scope enclosing calling function
    calling_fn_scope = stack()[2][0]
    # get calling function
    calling_fn_name = stack()[1][3]
    calling_fn = calling_fn_scope.f_locals[calling_fn_name]
    if not hasattr(calling_fn, name):
        setattr(calling_fn, name, factory())
    return getattr(calling_fn, name)