Is using "function.variable = something" a global variable

Question

For example, if I have a function like:

def function():
    function.number = 1

def calling():
    print(function.number)

Is function.number considered a global variable? Is calling variables like this unadvisable?

Thank you

Answer 1

function.number is an expression that evaluates to the value of some object's number attribute. function itself is a global (or at least non-local) variable which is presumed to reference an object that has a number attribute.

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Strictly speaking, function is a free variable; which scope the name resolves in depends on the context in which function is defined. Consider, for example,

def foo():
    def function():
        function.number = 1
    
    def calling():
        print(function.number)

    function()
    calling()

Here, function is a local variable, defined in the scope of foo, but it used non-locally inside the definitions of function and calling.