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@@ -2498,6 +2498,44 @@ There is even a variant to import all names that a module defines:
This imports all names except those beginning with an underscore
(\code{_}).
+\subsection{Executing modules as scripts \label{modulesAsScripts}}
+
+When you run a Python module with
+
+\begin{verbatim}
+python fibo.py <arguments>
+\end{verbatim}
+
+the code in the module will be executed, just as if you imported it, but
+with the \code{__name__} set to \code{"__main__"}. That means that by
+adding this code at the end of your module:
+
+\begin{verbatim}
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+ import sys
+ fib(int(sys.argv[1]))
+\end{verbatim}
+
+you can make the file usable as a script as well as an importable module,
+because the code that parses the command line only runs if the module is
+executed as the ``main'' file:
+
+\begin{verbatim}
+$ python fibo.py 50
+1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34
+\end{verbatim}
+
+If the module is imported, the code is not run:
+
+\begin{verbatim}
+>>> import fibo
+>>>
+\end{verbatim}
+
+This is often used either to provide a convenient user interface to a
+module, or for testing purposes (running the module as a script executes
+a test suite).
+
\subsection{The Module Search Path \label{searchPath}}