In [11]: i = "G"

In [12]: def test():
      i = "L"
      print i, "in locals"
  ....:

In [13]: test()
    L in locals

In [14]: print i, "in globals"
    G in globals

In [1]: def f(x):
  ...:   a = x
  ...:   print a
  ...:   print locals()
  ...:


In [2]: f("hello")
hello
{'a': 'hello', 'x': 'hello'}

In [6]: def f(x):
  ...:   global a
  ...:   a = x
  ...:   print a
  ...:   print locals()
  ...:

In [7]: f("hello")
hello
{'x': 'hello'}

In [8]: print a
hello

In [9]: print x
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NameError                 Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-9-2d264e11d975> in <module>()
----> 1 print x

NameError: name 'x' is not defined

In [11]: def outer():
  ....:   a_var = 'enclosed value'
  ....:   print a_var
  ....:   def inner():
  ....:     a_var = 'local value'
  ....:     print(a_var)
  ....:   inner()
  ....:   print a_var
  ....:

In [12]: outer()
enclosed value
local value
enclosed value

In [1]: a_var = 'global value'

In [2]: def outer():
  ...:   a_var = "local value"
  ...:   print("outer befor", a_var)
  ...:   def inner():
  ...:     nonlocal a_var
  ...:     a_var = "inner value"
  ...:     print("in inner():", a_var)
  ...:   inner()
  ...:   print("outer inner:", a_var)
  ...:

In [3]: outer()
outer befor local value
in inner(): inner value
outer inner: inner value

In [4]: print(a_var)
global value

In [19]: b
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NameError                 Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-19-3b5d5c371295> in <module>()
----> 1 b

NameError: name 'b' is not defined

In [20]: __builtins__.b = "builtins"

In [21]: b
Out[21]: 'builtins'