Python: Share variables across functions

Question

I am new to python. I would like to make this part of the variables shared across the functions.

     publist = []
     publication = {"pubid" : 1, "title" : 2, "year" : 3, "pubtype" : 4, "pubkey" :5}
     article = False
     book = False
     inproceeding = False
     incollection = False
     pubidCounter = 0

Where do i place the variables in these. I have tried placing it as shown below but it says there is an error with indendation. However, placing them outside returns an error too of indentation.

import xml.sax


class ABContentHandler(xml.sax.ContentHandler):
     publist = []
     publication = {"pubid" : 1, "title" : 2, "year" : 3, "pubtype" : 4, "pubkey" :5}
     article = False
     book = False
     inproceeding = False
     incollection = False
     pubidCounter = 0

    def __init__(self):
        xml.sax.ContentHandler.__init__(self)

    def startElement(self, name, attrs):

        if name == "incollection":
            incollection = true
            publication["pubkey"] = attrs.getValue("pubkey")
            pubidCounter += 1

        if(name == "title" and incollection):
            publication["pubtype"] = "incollection"



    def endElement(self, name):
        if name == "incollection":

            publication["pubid"] = pubidCounter
            publist.add(publication)
            incollection = False

    #def characters(self, content):


def main(sourceFileName):
    source = open(sourceFileName)
    xml.sax.parse(source, ABContentHandler())


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main("dblp.xml")

Answer 1

When placing them like that you define them as local for the class, thus you need to retrieve them through self

e.g.

def startElement(self, name, attrs):

    if name == "incollection":
        self.incollection = true
        self.publication["pubkey"] = attrs.getValue("pubkey")
        self.pubidCounter += 1

    if(name == "title" and incollection):
        self.publication["pubtype"] = "incollection"

If you would rather for them to be global, you should define them outside the class