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Is there a way to grab list attributes that have been initialized using self and append data to them in Python?

I have a class in Python that initializes the attributes of an environment. I am attempting to grab the topographyRegistry attribute list of my Environment class in a separate function, which when called, should take in the parameters of 'self' and the topography to be added. When this function is called, it should simply take an argument such as addTopographyToEnvironment(self, "Mountains") and append it to the topographyRegistry of the Environment class.
When implementing what I mentioned above, I ran into an error regarding the 'self' method not being defined. Hence, whenever I call the above line, it gives me:
print (Environment.addTopographyToEnvironment(self, "Mountains"))
^^^^
NameError: name 'self' is not defined
This leads me to believe that I am unaware of and missing a step in my implementation, but I am unsure of what that is exactly.
Here is the relevant code:
class EnvironmentInfo:
def __init__(self, perceivableFood, perceivableCreatures, regionTopography, lightVisibility):
self.perceivableFood = perceivableFood
self.perceivableCreatures = perceivableCreatures
self.regionTopography = regionTopography
self.lightVisibility = lightVisibility
class Environment:
def __init__(self, creatureRegistry, foodRegistry, topographyRegistery, lightVisibility):
logging.info("Creating new environment")
self.creatureRegistry = []
self.foodRegistry = []
self.topographyRegistery = []
self.lightVisibility = True
def displayEnvironment():
creatureRegistry = []
foodRegistry = []
topographyRegistery = ['Grasslands']
lightVisibility = True
print (f"Creatures: {creatureRegistry} Food Available: {foodRegistry} Topography: {topographyRegistery} Contains Light: {lightVisibility}")
def addTopographyToEnvironment(self, topographyRegistery):
logging.info(
f"Registering {topographyRegistery} as a region in the Environment")
self.topographyRegistery.append(topographyRegistery)
def getRegisteredEnvironment(self):
return self.topographyRegistry
if __name__ == "__main__":
print (Environment.displayEnvironment()) #Display hardcoded attributes
print (Environment.addTopographyToEnvironment(self, "Mountains"))#NameError
print (Environment.getRegisteredEnvironment(self)) #NameError
What am I doing wrong or not understanding when using 'self'?
Edit: In regard to omitting 'self' from the print statement, it still gives me an error indicating a TypeError:
print (Environment.addTopographyToEnvironment("Mountains"))
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
TypeError: Environment.addTopographyToEnvironment() missing 1 required positional argument: 'topographyRegistery'

Comments
Despite having def getRegisteredEnvironment(self): it wasn't indented, so it's not recognized as a class method.
self is a keyword used in conjunction with classes (class methods or attributes) - not functions. self is implied to be the instantiated object (eg a = Environment(...) -> self would refer to a) or the module's (I can't think of the proper term) class.
You didn't have your addTopographyToEnvironment class method defined.
In terms of your Environment class, you aren't using the variables you are passing to the class, so I made that change as well - I don't know if that was intentional or not.
As per your comment from the other answer, if you had def my_class_method(self) and you try to invoke it through an object with additional parameters, like so a = my_object(); a.my_class_method("Mountains"), you should get an error of the sorts, "2 positional arguments passed, expected 1.".
Your main problem is that you are doing Environment.class_method() and not creating an object from the class. Do a = Environment(whatever arguments here) to create an object from the class, then do a.addTopographyToEnvironment("Mountains") to do what you were going to do with "Mountains" and that object. What you have currently may be right, its just is missing the proper implementation, but the below article does a great job explaining the differences between all of them (Class Methods vs Static Methods vs Instance Methods), and is definitely worth the read.
class EnvironmentInfo:
def __init__(self, perceivableFood, perceivableCreatures, regionTopography, lightVisibility):
self.perceivableFood = perceivableFood
self.perceivableCreatures = perceivableCreatures
self.regionTopography = regionTopography
self.lightVisibility = lightVisibility
class Environment:
def __init__(self, creatureRegistry, foodRegistry, topographyRegistery, lightVisibility):
logging.info("Creating new environment")
self.creatureRegistry = creatureRegistry
self.foodRegistry = foodRegistry
self.topographyRegistery = topographyRegistery
self.lightVisibility = lightVisibility
def displayEnvironment(self):
creatureRegistry = []
foodRegistry = []
topographyRegistery = ['Grasslands']
lightVisibility = True
print (f"Creatures: {creatureRegistry} Food Available: {foodRegistry} Topography: {topographyRegistery} Contains Light: {lightVisibility}")
def addTopographyToEnvironment(self, environment):
return "Whatever this is supposed to return." + environment
def getRegisteredEnvironment(self):
return self.topographyRegistry
if __name__ == "__main__":
print (Environment.displayEnvironment()) #Display hardcoded attributes
print (Environment.addTopographyToEnvironment("Mountains"))#NameError
print (Environment.getRegisteredEnvironment()) #NameError
Object Instantiation In Python
With all that out of the way, I will answer the question as is posed, "Is there a way to grab list attributes that have been initialized using self and append data to them in Python?". I am assuming you mean the contents of the list and not the attributes of it, the attributes would be "got" or at least printed with dir()
As a simple example:
class MyClass:
def __init__(self, my_list):
self.my_list = my_list
if __name__ == "__main__":
a = MyClass([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
print(a.my_list)
# will print [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
a.my_list.append(6)
print(a.my_list)
# will print [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
print(dir(a.my_list))
# will print all object methods and object attributes for the list associated with object "a".
Sub Classing In Python
Given what you have above, it looks like you should be using method sub classing - this is done with the keyword super. From what I can guess, it would look like you'd implement that kind of like this:
class EnvironmentInfo:
def __init__(self, perceivableFood, perceivableCreatures, regionTopography, lightVisibility):
self.perceivableFood = perceivableFood
self.perceivableCreatures = perceivableCreatures
self.regionTopography = regionTopography
self.lightVisibility = lightVisibility
class Environment(EnvironmentInfo):
def __init__(self, creatureRegistry, foodRegistry, topographyRegistery, lightVisibility, someOtherThingAvailableToEnvironmentButNotEnvironmentInfo):
logging.info("Creating new environment")
super.__init__(foodRegistry, creatureRegistry, topographyRegistery, lightVisibility)
self.my_var1 = someOtherThingAvailableToEnvironmentButNotEnvironmentInfo
def displayEnvironment(self):
creatureRegistry = []
foodRegistry = []
topographyRegistery = ['Grasslands']
lightVisibility = True
print (f"Creatures: {creatureRegistry} Food Available: {foodRegistry} Topography: {topographyRegistery} Contains Light: {lightVisibility}")
def addTopographyToEnvironment(self, environment):
return "Whatever this is supposed to return." + environment
def getRegisteredEnvironment(self):
return self.topographyRegistry
def methodAvailableToSubClassButNotSuper(self)
return self.my_var1
if __name__ == "__main__":
a = Environment([], [], [], True, "Only accessible to the sub class")
print(a.methodAvailableToSubClassButNotSuper())
as the article describes when talking about super(), methods and attributes from the super class are available to the sub class.
Extra Resources
Class Methods vs Static Methods vs Instance Methods - "Difference #2: Method Defination" gives an example that would be helpful I think.
What is sub classing in Python? - Just glanced at it; probably an okay read.

Self represents the instance of the class and you don't have access to it outside of the class, by the way when you are calling object methods of a class you don't need to pass self cause it automatically be passed to the method you just need to pass the parameters after self so if you want to call an object method like addTopographyToEnvironment(self, newVal) you should do it like:
Environment.addTopographyToEnvironment("Mountains")
and it should work fine

Avoiding too much "self." when working with classes methods

I have created this class that works as expected, I want only to expose one method, get_enriched_dataso the other are pretty much private w/ the underscore.
The functionality works, just pretty convinced I am not doing the most pythonic/OOP way:
class MergeClients:
def __init__(self,source_df,extra_info_df,type_f):
self.df_all = pd.merge(source_df,extra_info_df, on='clientID', how='left')
self.avg_age = self._get_avg_age()
self.type_f = 'Medium'
def _filter_by_age(self, age):
return self.df_all[self.df_all['Age'] > age]
def _filter_by_family_type(self, f_type):
return self.df_all[self.df_all['familyType'] == f_type]
def _get_avg_age(self):
return self.df_all['Age'].mean()
def get_enriched_data(self):
self.df_all = self._filter_by_age(self.avg_age)
self.df_all=self._filter_by_family_type(self.type_f)
return self.df_all
But I find the code looks so ugly with so many self references, for example in the get_enriched_datamethod there are three self references per line, how can I correct this? Any direction on how to correctly Python classes is welcome.
Edit:
Example of working code:
main_df = pd.DataFrame({'clientID':[1,2,3,4,5],
'Name':['Peter','Margaret','Marc','Alice','Maria']})
extra_info = pd.DataFrame({'clientID':[1,2,3,4,5],'Age':[19,35,18,65,57],'familyType':['Big','Medium','Single','Medium','Medium']})
family_stats = MergeClients(main_df,extra_info,'Medium')
family_filtered = family_stats.get_enriched_data()

There are some odd things about your code. I will point out one thing about instances: every method has access to all attributes, so you don't always need to pass them as parameters:
class MergeClients:
def __init__(self,source_df,extra_info_df,type_f):
self.df_all = pd.merge(source_df,extra_info_df, on='clientID', how='left')
self.avg_age = self._get_avg_age()
self.type_f = 'Medium'
def _filter_by_age(self): #No need for age param
return self.df_all[self.df_all['Age'] > self.avg_age]
def _filter_by_family_type(self): #No need for f_type param
return self.df_all[self.df_all['familyType'] == self.type_f]
def _get_avg_age(self):
return self.df_all['Age'].mean()
def get_enriched_data(self):
self.df_all = self._filter_by_age()
self.df_all = self._filter_by_family_type()
return self.df_all
Since the two methods in question: _filter_by_age() and _filter_by_family_type() are private by convention, this means that clients of your class are not expected to call them. So if only other methods of this class call these methods and only the ones you have shown, then there is no need to pass parameters which are already attributes.
Alternatively there is the argument that for other private methods where sometimes they should use attributes, but at other times they should take a parameter, then I would make those methods take a parameter as you had originally.

Functions declared within a Python Class can be effectively made 'private' by preceding the name with double underscore. For example:
class Clazz():
def __work(self):
print('Working')
def work(self):
self.__work()
c = Clazz()
c.work()
c.__work()
The output of this would be:
Working
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/Volumes/G-DRIVE Thunderbolt 3/PythonStuff/play.py", line 575, in
c = Clazz()
AttributeError: 'Clazz' object has no attribute '__work'
In other words, the __work function has been 'hidden'

How can I use an 'update' function to 'open' and update if the object is not yet open?

My example is a progress bar
In its simplest form a progress bar is
bar = ProgressBar.Open()
for item in list:
bar.Update(count, len(list))
I would instead like my calling code to be
for item in list:
bar.Update(count, len(list))
I want my Update() function to Open() a bar for the caller if one is not open. The caller doesn't need any other access to the bar than to update it so there's no value in having the meter` handle.
How can I retain state to tell if the Update had been previously called?
I could create a global variable and keep track that way, but I have a gut sense there's a Pythonista way of doing it.
Trying again, but in a way that has no application to stumble on.
The base question is:
I have a function that will be called multiple times.
I want to do something different the first time it is called.
How can a function in Python do that?
In C, that of course would be a...
static variable
I'm just now kinda figuring it out as I type, sorry.
========================
I'm sure all these edits are not how stackoverflow is supposed to work. I'm sorry for not getting it right yet, but am very appreciative of the replies.
Despite it sounding like I'm breaking all the rules of good practices, it's when looked at from the CALLER'S point of view that I had hoped to make an impact.
What if the only thing you needed to do to add a progress meter, even for debugging, to your program was make a call to a progress meter update in the location you want to show progress?
That's the underlying motivation. Slide in 1-line, get something cool for the trouble.
This progress meter was added to my otherwise boring file de-duplicator by adding just the single call:
msg = f'Deduplicating {idx} of {total_files} files\n' f'{dup_count} Dupes found\n' f'{small_count} Too small'
not_cancelled = sGUI.ProgressBar('De-dupe', msg, idx, total_files)

To avoid using global variables, you can use decorator. Here's a simple example:
def open():
print 'open'
def update():
print 'update'
def call_once(func1, *args1, **kwargs1):
def decorator(func2):
called = [False]
def wrapper(*args2 ,**kwargs2):
if not called[0]:
func1(*args1, **kwargs1)
called[0] = True
return func2(*args2, **kwargs2)
return wrapper
return decorator
#call_once(open)
def my_update():
update()
for i in xrange(5):
my_update()
which give the result:
open
update
update
update
update
update
For more information about decorator, please visit: https://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonDecorators

For what you want, you can use a class:
class ProgressBar:
def __init__(self):
self._opened = False
def Open(self):
print("Open")
def Update(self):
if self._opened:
print("Update!")
else:
self.Open()
print("set flag")
self._opened = True
print("Update")
In action:
In [32]: bar = ProgressBar()
In [33]: bar.Update()
Open
set flag
Update
In [34]: bar.Update()
Update!
Note: I copied your casing so as to make it more clear to you, however, the official Python style would be like this:
class ProgressBar:
def __init__(self):
self._opened = False
def open(self):
pass # open stuff
def update(self):
if self._opened:
pass # update stuff
else:
self.open()
self._opened = True
Using snake_case for everything except the ClassName.

OK, I found a solution using 'globals'. I thought that a nested function was the way to do it... then I mixed the two.
By 'globals' I meant variables declared outside the scope of a function. I want to be able to import my module without the import creating anything.
Here's the code that shows how to do this with globals
def my_update(amount):
global flag
if 'flag' in globals():
print('I have been here')
else:
print('I have not been here')
flag = True
return
for i in range(10):
print(f'Calling number {i}')
result = my_update(1)
It does the job for the goals I had set out, but I'm SURE there are better, safer ways that are more elegant as well.

I posted this question on a Python forum and got back the best answer so far using a function attribute. It's brilliant and it works.
Here is code that demonstrates this construct... it should go in everyone's 'Favorite Python Constructs' notebook in my opinion.
def func():
if not hasattr(func, 'static_variable'):
func.static_variable = 0
func.static_variable += 1
return func.static_variable
def main():
for i in range(10):
print('func = {}'.format(func()))
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
The output is
func = 1
func = 2
func = 3
func = 4
func = 5
func = 6
func = 7
func = 8
func = 9
func = 10

In Python 2.7, how can I return calculations without defining variables in the constructor?

My question is about getter/setter-type functionality in Python. I have a class, Week_Of_Meetings, that takes a blob of data from my Google Calendar and does some calculations on it.
wom = Week_Of_Meetings(google_meetings_blob)
I want to be able to return something like:
wom.total_seconds_in_meetings() # returns 36000
But, I'm not understanding how the getters/setters-type #property decorator can help me do this. In Java, I would use member variables, but you don't interact with them the same way in Python. How can I return calculations without starting with them in the constructor?
Class Week_Of_Meetings:
def __init__(self, google_meetings_blob)
self.google_meetings_blob = google_meetings_blob
def get_meetings_list(self, google_meetings_blob):
meetings_list = []
for meeting_id, meeting in enumerate(self.google_meetings_blob, 1):
summary = self._get_summary(meeting)
start = parse(meeting['start'].get('dateTime', meeting['start'].get('date')))
end = parse(meeting['end'].get('dateTime', meeting['end'].get('date')))
duration = end - start
num_attendees = self._get_num_attendees(meeting.get('attendees'))
m = Meeting(meeting_id, summary, start, end, duration, num_attendees)
meetings_list.append(m)
return meetings_list
def _get_summary(self, meeting):
summary = meeting.get('summary', 'No summary given')
return summary
def _get_num_attendees(self, num_attendees):
if num_attendees == None:
num_attendees = 1 # if invited only self to meeting
else:
num_attendees = len(num_attendees)
return num_attendees
When I add self.total_seconds_in_meetings to the
__init__()
I get "NameError: global name 'total_seconds_in_meetings' is not defined." That makes sense. It hasn't been defined. But I can't define it when it's supposed to be the result of calculations done on the google_meetings_blob. So, I'm confused where the 'total_seconds_in_meetings' goes in the class.
Thank you for the help!

Of course Python has member variables. How would classes work without them? You can set and get any instance data via self, as you are already doing with self.google_meetings_blob in __init__.

Using getattr to work with a method from another class

pI am working on a bit of code that does nothing important, but one of the things I am trying to make it do is call a function from another class, and the class name is pulled out of a list and put into a variable. Mind you I have literally just learned python over the last 2 weeks, and barely know my way around how to program.
What I believe that this should do is when getattr() is called, it will pass the attribute 'run_question' that is contained in the respective class with the same name as what is in question_type, and then pass it onto 'running_question'. I know there are probably better ways to do what I am attempting, but I want to know why this method doesn't work how I think it should.
#! /usr/bin/python
rom random import randrange
class QuestionRunner(object):
def __init__(self):
##initialize score to zero
self.score = 0
##initialize class with the types of questions
self.questiontypes = ['Addition', 'Subtraction', 'Division', 'Multiplication']
##randomly selects question type from self.questiontypes list
def random_type(self):
type = self.questiontypes[randrange(0, 4)]
return type
##question function runner, runs question function from self
def run_questions(self):
try:
question_type = self.random_type()
running_question = getattr(question_type, 'run_question' )
except AttributeError:
print question_type
print "Attribute error:Attribute not found"
else: running_question()
class Question(object):
pass
class Multiplication(Question):
def run_question(self):
print "*"
class Division(Question):
def run_question(self):
print "/"
class Subtraction(Question):
def run_question(self):
print "-"
class Addition(Question):
def run_question(self):
print "+"
test = QuestionRunner()
test.run_questions()
This outputs:
[david#leonid mathtest] :( $ python mathtest.py
Division
Attribute error:Attribute not found
[david#leonid mathtest] :) $
Which indicates that I am not getting the run_question attribute as I expect.
I should note that when I put the functions into the QuestionRunner class in the following way, everything works as expected. The main reason I am using classes where it really isn't needed it to actually get a good grasp of how to make them do what I want.
#! /usr/bin/python
from random import randrange
class QuestionRunner(object):
def __init__(self):
##initialize score to zero
self.score = 0
##initialize class with the types of questions
self.questiontypes = ['addition', 'subtraction', 'division', 'multiplication']
##randomly selects question type from self.questiontypes list
def random_type(self):
type = self.questiontypes[randrange(0, 4)]
return type
##question function runner, runs question function from self
def run_questions(self):
try:
question_type = self.random_type()
running_question = getattr(self, question_type)
except AttributeError:
exit(1)
else: running_question()
def multiplication(self):
print "*"
def division(self):
print "/"
def addition(self):
print "+"
def subtraction(self):
print "-"
test = QuestionRunner()
test.run_questions()
Any help on why this isn't working would be great, and I appreciate it greatly.
Any help on why this isn't working would be great, and I appreciate it greatly.

Ah, I have found out the missing concept that was causing my logic to be faulty. I assumed that I could pass the name of an object to getattr, when in reality I have to pass the object itself.