Naming conflict with built-in function

Step one: rebind the list to a different name

lst = list

Step two: delete the list variable

del list

Step three: don't do it again

I prefer this over __builtins__.list simply because it saves the typing, and you aren't still left with a variable named list. However, it is always best to avoid the problem altogether. When writing production code, always remember not to have variables named the same as built in functions.

Use __builtins__.list or __builtins__['__list__'] (depending on context), or simply delete list again (del list).

No imports needed:

>>> __builtins__.list
<type 'list'>

The presence of __builtins__ is a CPython implementation detail; in the __main__ module it is a module, everywhere else it is the module __dict__ dictionary. Jython, IronPython and PyPy may opt to not make this available at all. Use the __builtin__ module for those platforms, or for Python 3 compatible implementations, the builtins module:

>>> import __builtin__
>>> __builtin__.list
<type 'list'>

Do not use built-in functions, or types as variable names. It is just as simple as that, the language is not meant for that. And it makes no sense to do so.

Not only that - but using the name "list" for a list is very ambiguous, and I doubt it is even remotely usable in any real code.

There are a few reasons why you should NOT ever shadow a built-in. Some of the more serious ones are below:

• Compatibility, the code would not work with other modules.
• Confusion, anyone reading your code will not understand what is going on.
• Circumstances, many of the built-ins use other built-ins, changing one can have unexpected results on other aspects of code.