Python: What is the meaning of if __ name __ == ‘__ Main__?

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__name__ is a built-in variable name which will be __main__, if the file is executed directly. If the file is a module being imported in another file, the __name__ will become the file name.

Let’s create two file, file1.py and file2.py

In file1.py

print(f'my name is {__name__}')

In file2.py

import file1

If enter ‘python file1.py’. It will output

my name is __main__

If enter ‘python file2.py’. It will output

my name is file1

Now we add if else statement inside both file1.py and file2.py

In file1.py, we add

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print('file 1 is executed directly')
else:
    print('file 1 is being imported')

In file2.py, we add

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print('file 2 is executed directly')
else:
    print('file 2 is being imported')