How to Use dir() Function in Python: Syntax and Examples

The dir() function in Python returns a list of names (attributes and methods) of an object or the current scope if no object is given. Use dir(object) to explore what properties and functions an object has.

Syntax

The dir() function can be used in two ways:

• dir(): Returns a list of names in the current local scope.
• dir(object): Returns a list of valid attributes and methods for the given object.

This helps you see what you can access or use with that object.

python

dir()
dir(object)

Example

This example shows how to use dir() with a string object to list its methods and attributes.

python

sample = "hello"
print(dir(sample))

Output

[
  '__add__', '__class__', '__contains__', '__delattr__', '__dir__', '__doc__',
  '__eq__', '__format__', '__ge__', '__getattribute__', '__getitem__', '__getnewargs__',
  '__gt__', '__hash__', '__init__', '__init_subclass__', '__iter__', '__le__',
  '__len__', '__lt__', '__mod__', '__mul__', '__ne__', '__new__', '__reduce__',
  '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__', '__rmod__', '__rmul__', '__setattr__', '__sizeof__',
  '__str__', '__subclasshook__', 'capitalize', 'casefold', 'center', 'count', 'encode',
  'endswith', 'expandtabs', 'find', 'format', 'format_map', 'index', 'isalnum',
  'isalpha', 'isascii', 'isdigit', 'islower', 'isnumeric', 'isprintable', 'isspace',
  'istitle', 'isupper', 'join', 'ljust', 'lower', 'lstrip', 'maketrans', 'partition',
  'removeprefix', 'removesuffix', 'replace', 'rfind', 'rindex', 'rjust', 'rpartition',
  'rsplit', 'rstrip', 'split', 'splitlines', 'startswith', 'strip', 'swapcase',
  'title', 'translate', 'upper', 'zfill'
]

Common Pitfalls

One common mistake is expecting dir() to show all attributes including those dynamically added or private ones. It shows most but not all. Also, dir() returns names as strings, not the actual values or functions.

Another pitfall is calling dir() without an object and expecting it to show global variables outside the current scope.

python

class MyClass:
    def __init__(self):
        self.x = 10

obj = MyClass()
print(dir(obj))  # Shows 'x' but not its value

# Wrong expectation:
print(dir())  # Only shows names in current local scope, not globals outside

Output

[
  '__class__', '__delattr__', '__dict__', '__dir__', '__doc__', '__eq__',
  '__format__', '__ge__', '__getattribute__', '__gt__', '__hash__', '__init__',
  '__init_subclass__', '__le__', '__lt__', '__module__', '__ne__', '__new__',
  '__reduce__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__', '__setattr__', '__sizeof__',
  '__str__', '__subclasshook__', '__weakref__', 'x'
]
['__annotations__', '__builtins__', '__doc__', '__loader__', '__name__', '__package__', '__spec__']

Quick Reference

Use this quick guide to remember how dir() works:

Usage	Description
dir()	List names in current local scope
dir(object)	List attributes and methods of the object
Returns	List of strings naming attributes and methods
Does not show	Values of attributes or dynamically added names
Helpful for	Exploring unknown objects or debugging

Key Takeaways

Use dir(object) to see what attributes and methods an object has.

dir() without arguments lists names in the current local scope.

dir() returns names as strings, not their values or implementations.

It helps explore objects but does not show all dynamic or private attributes.

Use dir() to understand what you can access or call on an object.