# How to know whether a script is executed by ParaView Python?
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Tags:** python
**Created:** [June 10, 2026, 1:20pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610 "2026-06-10T13:20:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2026, 1:20pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610/1 "2026-06-10T13:20:58Z")
Is there a way to know at runtime if a Python file is executed from the ParaView environment (`pvpython`, `pvbatch` or from the Python shell of the GUI) or from a standard Python interpreter? I checked the [environment variables](https://www.paraview.org/paraview-docs/latest/cxx/EnvironmentVariables.html) with
```bash
$ pvpython
>>> import os
>>> from pprint import pprint
>>> pprint(os.environ._data)
```
but did not find anything that would indicate that.
---
### Author:  [@jfavre](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/jfavre)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610/2 "2026-06-10T13:48:55Z")
`if __name__ == ' __main__'`
` # we’re in batch mode`
`else:`
` # we’re inside the GUI`, a.k.a. ‘\__vtkconsole_\_’
---
### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610/3 "2026-06-10T13:57:19Z")
` __name__ ` allows us to differentiate between batch mode and PV GUI mode, but even if ` __name__ == ' __main__'`, the script could be executed from `pvpython`/`pvbatch` and from a standard Python interpreter. This latter is what I would like to know. I edited the post.
---
### Author:  [@dcthomp](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/dcthomp)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610/4 "2026-06-10T15:30:22Z")
Can you `import sys` and inspect `sys.argv[0]` ot `sys.executable`?
---
### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610/5 "2026-06-10T15:42:11Z")
Running as a command just prints the flag `-c`:
```auto
$ python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.argv[0])"
-c
$ pvpython -c "import sys; print(sys.argv[0])"
-c
```
Putting these commands into the file _t.py_ gives back the file name:
```auto
$ python3 t.py
t.py
$ pvpython t.py
t.py
```
In interactive mode (REPL), there is nothing:
```auto
$ python3
>>> import sys; sys.argv[0]
''
$ pvpython
>>> import sys; sys.argv[0]
''
```
---
### Author:  [@dcthomp](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/dcthomp)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610/6 "2026-06-10T15:42:54Z")
Try `sys.executable`
---
### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-know-whether-a-script-is-executed-by-paraview-python/17610/7 "2026-06-10T15:51:56Z")
Running with pvpython returns _…/bin/pvpython-real_. Thank you!