vars() function in Python

This is an inbuilt function in Python. The vars() method takes only one parameter and that too is optional. It takes an object as a parameter which may be can a module, a class, an instance, or any object having __dict__ attribute.
Syntax:

vars(object)

The method returns the __dict__ attribute for a module, class, instance, or any other object if the same has a __dict__ attribute. If the object fails to match the attribute, it raises a TypeError exception. Objects such as modules and instances have an updatable __dict__ attribute however, other objects may have written restrictions on their __dict__ attributes. vars() acts like locals() method when an empty argument is passed which implies that the locals dictionary is only useful for reads since updates to the locals dictionary are ignored. 

Python3

# Python program to illustrate
# working of vars() method in Python

class Geeks:
  def __init__(self, name1 = "Arun", num2 = 46, name3 = "Rishab"):
    self.name1 = name1
    self.num2 = num2
    self.name3 = name3

GeeksforGeeks = Geeks()
print(vars(GeeksforGeeks))

Output: 

{'num2': 46, 'name1': 'Arun', 'name3': 'Rishab'}

Python3

# Python program to illustrating
# the use of vars() and locals
# when no argument is passed and
# how vars() act as locals().
class Geeks(object):
    def __init__(self):
        self.num1 = 20
        self.num2 = "this is returned"

    def __repr__(self):
        return "Geeks() is returned"

    def loc(self):
        ans = 21
        return locals()

    # Works same as locals()
    def code(self):
        ans = 10
        return vars()

    def prog(self):
        ans = "this is not printed"
        return vars(self)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    obj = Geeks()
    print (obj.loc())
    print (obj.code())
    print (obj.prog())

Output: 

{'ans': 21, 'self': Geeks() is returned}
{'ans': 10, 'self': Geeks() is returned}
{'num1': 20, 'num2': 'this is returned'}