i have a structure like,
class Foo(object):
def __init__(self, value=True):
if value:
Bar()
else:
Zoo()
pass
class Bar(Foo):
pass
class Zoo(Foo):
pass
z = Foo(True) # instance of Foo() class
when i instantiate the class Foo() it will return the instance of Foo class, but i want it should return the instance of Bar or Zoo class(ie. any class which is called according to the value supplied to Foo class)
Thanks in advance
Just use a function:
def foo(value=True):
if value:
return Bar()
else:
return Zoo()
There is no need for a class, because you only ever want to create instances from two other classes. Thus, you can just use a function to select between the two.
This is often called a factory.
If you want to be able to supply custom arguments to the initializer, you can use this:
def foo(value=True):
if value:
return Bar
else:
return Zoo
and call it like this:
z = foo(True)(params for Bar/Zoo)
That's exactly what __new__() is for:
class Foo(object):
def __new__(cls, value=True):
if cls != Foo:
return super(Foo, cls).__new__(cls)
elif value:
return super(Foo, cls).__new__(Bar)
else:
return super(Foo, cls).__new__(Zoo)
class Bar(Foo):
pass
class Zoo(Foo):
pass
z = Foo(True) # instance of Bar() class
Related
I have a class like:
class MyClass:
Foo = 1
Bar = 2
Whenever MyClass.Foo or MyClass.Bar is invoked, I need a custom method to be invoked before the value is returned. Is it possible in Python? I know it is possible if I create an instance of the class and I can define my own __getattr__ method. But my scnenario involves using this class as such without creating any instance of it.
Also I need a custom __str__ method to be invoked when str(MyClass.Foo) is invoked. Does Python provide such an option?
__getattr__() and __str__() for an object are found on its class, so if you want to customize those things for a class, you need the class-of-a-class. A metaclass.
class FooType(type):
def _foo_func(cls):
return 'foo!'
def _bar_func(cls):
return 'bar!'
def __getattr__(cls, key):
if key == 'Foo':
return cls._foo_func()
elif key == 'Bar':
return cls._bar_func()
raise AttributeError(key)
def __str__(cls):
return 'custom str for %s' % (cls.__name__,)
class MyClass:
__metaclass__ = FooType
# # in python 3:
# class MyClass(metaclass=FooType):
# pass
print(MyClass.Foo)
print(MyClass.Bar)
print(str(MyClass))
printing:
foo!
bar!
custom str for MyClass
And no, an object can't intercept a request for a stringifying one of its attributes. The object returned for the attribute must define its own __str__() behavior.
(I know this is an old question, but since all the other answers use a metaclass...)
You can use the following simple classproperty descriptor:
class classproperty(object):
""" #classmethod+#property """
def __init__(self, f):
self.f = classmethod(f)
def __get__(self, *a):
return self.f.__get__(*a)()
Use it like:
class MyClass(object):
#classproperty
def Foo(cls):
do_something()
return 1
#classproperty
def Bar(cls):
do_something_else()
return 2
For the first, you'll need to create a metaclass, and define __getattr__() on that.
class MyMetaclass(type):
def __getattr__(self, name):
return '%s result' % name
class MyClass(object):
__metaclass__ = MyMetaclass
print MyClass.Foo
For the second, no. Calling str(MyClass.Foo) invokes MyClass.Foo.__str__(), so you'll need to return an appropriate type for MyClass.Foo.
Surprised no one pointed this one out:
class FooType(type):
#property
def Foo(cls):
return "foo!"
#property
def Bar(cls):
return "bar!"
class MyClass(metaclass=FooType):
pass
Works:
>>> MyClass.Foo
'foo!'
>>> MyClass.Bar
'bar!'
(for Python 2.x, change definition of MyClass to:
class MyClass(object):
__metaclass__ = FooType
)
What the other answers say about str holds true for this solution: It must be implemented on the type actually returned.
Depending on the case I use this pattern
class _TheRealClass:
def __getattr__(self, attr):
pass
LooksLikeAClass = _TheRealClass()
Then you import and use it.
from foo import LooksLikeAClass
LooksLikeAClass.some_attribute
This avoid use of metaclass, and handle some use cases.
I can see code below
class MetaStrategy(StrategyBase.__class__): pass
I am not sure why not just write code like below
class MetaStrategy(StrategyBase): pass
Definition schematic
class StrategyBase(DataAccessor):
pass
class DataAccessor(LineIterator):
pass
class LineIterator(with_metaclass(MetaLineIterator, LineSeries)):
pass
def with_metaclass(meta, *bases):
class metaclass(meta):
def __new__(cls, name, this_bases, d):
return meta(name, bases, d)
return type.__new__(metaclass, str('temporary_class'), (), {})
If you call self.__class__ from a subclass instance, self.__class__ will use that type of the subclass.
Any class that is expressly specified while using the class will be used naturally.
Take the example below:
class Foo(object):
def create_new(self):
return self.__class__()
def create_new2(self):
return Foo()
class Bar(Foo):
pass
b = Bar()
c = b.create_new()
print type(c) # We got an instance of Bar
d = b.create_new2()
print type(d) # we got an instance of Foo
Here is the scenario. I have a class Foo that looks like this:
class Foo:
def __init__(self, prop):
self.prop = prop
def method(self):
if self.prop == PROP_VAL_1:
do_something()
elif self.prop == PROP_VAL_2:
do_something_2()
else:
raise ValueError(f"Invalid value {self.prop}")
I want to do a refactor in which I end up with two subclasses of Foo like this:
class FooA(Foo):
def method():
do_something()
class FooB(Foo):
def method():
do_something_2()
However, the issue is that I can't change how Foo is used because there is code currently in use that uses Foo. Is it possible to somehow have the superclass Foo instantiate objects of type FooA and FooB depending on the value of prop? Another thing I want to avoid is having Foo import it's subclasses since this would lead to circular dependencies. Is there some sort of "best practice" for this as well?
Rename the Foo class, then replace it with a factory function.
class NewFoo:
def __init__(self, prop):
self.prop = prop
class FooA(NewFoo):
def method():
do_something()
class FooB(NewFoo):
def method():
do_something_2()
def Foo(prop):
if prop == PROP_VAL_1:
return FooA(prop)
elif prop == PROP_VAL_2:
return FooB(prop)
By definition, you want the class Foo to return an instance that is not Foo, but a subclass of Foo.
I would caution against this, as it may be surprising to the users of your class.
You have a few options:
You can use a factory function, as #Barmar suggests but use a name such as foo_factory and keep the method Foo.method intact with some aggressive logging. This allows you to incrementally change all call sites from Foo to foo_factory and have the logging as peace of mind that no one is directly instantiating Foo anymore.
Another option is to modify Foo.__new__ to return an instance of a subclass:
I modified your code a bit to an MRE.
PROP_VAL_1 = 1
PROP_VAL_2 = 2
class Foo:
def __new__(cls, prop):
# if the class was instantiated directly
if cls is Foo:
if prop == PROP_VAL_1:
return FooA(prop)
elif prop == PROP_VAL_2:
return FooB(prop)
else:
raise ValueError(f"Invalid value {prop}")
# this is only reached if a subclass is instantiated
return super().__new__(cls)
def __init__(self, prop):
self.prop = prop
class FooA(Foo):
def method(self):
return 'do_something'
class FooB(Foo):
def method(self):
return 'do_something_2'
foo = Foo(prop=2)
print(isinstance(foo, Foo)) # True
print(type(foo)) # <class '__main__.FooB'>
print(foo.method()) # do_something_2
I have a class like:
class MyClass:
Foo = 1
Bar = 2
Whenever MyClass.Foo or MyClass.Bar is invoked, I need a custom method to be invoked before the value is returned. Is it possible in Python? I know it is possible if I create an instance of the class and I can define my own __getattr__ method. But my scnenario involves using this class as such without creating any instance of it.
Also I need a custom __str__ method to be invoked when str(MyClass.Foo) is invoked. Does Python provide such an option?
__getattr__() and __str__() for an object are found on its class, so if you want to customize those things for a class, you need the class-of-a-class. A metaclass.
class FooType(type):
def _foo_func(cls):
return 'foo!'
def _bar_func(cls):
return 'bar!'
def __getattr__(cls, key):
if key == 'Foo':
return cls._foo_func()
elif key == 'Bar':
return cls._bar_func()
raise AttributeError(key)
def __str__(cls):
return 'custom str for %s' % (cls.__name__,)
class MyClass(metaclass=FooType):
pass
# # in python 2:
# class MyClass:
# __metaclass__ = FooType
print(MyClass.Foo)
print(MyClass.Bar)
print(str(MyClass))
printing:
foo!
bar!
custom str for MyClass
And no, an object can't intercept a request for a stringifying one of its attributes. The object returned for the attribute must define its own __str__() behavior.
Updated 2023-02-20 for Python 3.x default implementation (python 2 as a comment).
(I know this is an old question, but since all the other answers use a metaclass...)
You can use the following simple classproperty descriptor:
class classproperty(object):
""" #classmethod+#property """
def __init__(self, f):
self.f = classmethod(f)
def __get__(self, *a):
return self.f.__get__(*a)()
Use it like:
class MyClass(object):
#classproperty
def Foo(cls):
do_something()
return 1
#classproperty
def Bar(cls):
do_something_else()
return 2
For the first, you'll need to create a metaclass, and define __getattr__() on that.
class MyMetaclass(type):
def __getattr__(self, name):
return '%s result' % name
class MyClass(object):
__metaclass__ = MyMetaclass
print MyClass.Foo
For the second, no. Calling str(MyClass.Foo) invokes MyClass.Foo.__str__(), so you'll need to return an appropriate type for MyClass.Foo.
Surprised no one pointed this one out:
class FooType(type):
#property
def Foo(cls):
return "foo!"
#property
def Bar(cls):
return "bar!"
class MyClass(metaclass=FooType):
pass
Works:
>>> MyClass.Foo
'foo!'
>>> MyClass.Bar
'bar!'
(for Python 2.x, change definition of MyClass to:
class MyClass(object):
__metaclass__ = FooType
)
What the other answers say about str holds true for this solution: It must be implemented on the type actually returned.
Depending on the case I use this pattern
class _TheRealClass:
def __getattr__(self, attr):
pass
LooksLikeAClass = _TheRealClass()
Then you import and use it.
from foo import LooksLikeAClass
LooksLikeAClass.some_attribute
This avoid use of metaclass, and handle some use cases.
I have a class like:
class MyClass:
Foo = 1
Bar = 2
Whenever MyClass.Foo or MyClass.Bar is invoked, I need a custom method to be invoked before the value is returned. Is it possible in Python? I know it is possible if I create an instance of the class and I can define my own __getattr__ method. But my scnenario involves using this class as such without creating any instance of it.
Also I need a custom __str__ method to be invoked when str(MyClass.Foo) is invoked. Does Python provide such an option?
__getattr__() and __str__() for an object are found on its class, so if you want to customize those things for a class, you need the class-of-a-class. A metaclass.
class FooType(type):
def _foo_func(cls):
return 'foo!'
def _bar_func(cls):
return 'bar!'
def __getattr__(cls, key):
if key == 'Foo':
return cls._foo_func()
elif key == 'Bar':
return cls._bar_func()
raise AttributeError(key)
def __str__(cls):
return 'custom str for %s' % (cls.__name__,)
class MyClass(metaclass=FooType):
pass
# # in python 2:
# class MyClass:
# __metaclass__ = FooType
print(MyClass.Foo)
print(MyClass.Bar)
print(str(MyClass))
printing:
foo!
bar!
custom str for MyClass
And no, an object can't intercept a request for a stringifying one of its attributes. The object returned for the attribute must define its own __str__() behavior.
Updated 2023-02-20 for Python 3.x default implementation (python 2 as a comment).
(I know this is an old question, but since all the other answers use a metaclass...)
You can use the following simple classproperty descriptor:
class classproperty(object):
""" #classmethod+#property """
def __init__(self, f):
self.f = classmethod(f)
def __get__(self, *a):
return self.f.__get__(*a)()
Use it like:
class MyClass(object):
#classproperty
def Foo(cls):
do_something()
return 1
#classproperty
def Bar(cls):
do_something_else()
return 2
For the first, you'll need to create a metaclass, and define __getattr__() on that.
class MyMetaclass(type):
def __getattr__(self, name):
return '%s result' % name
class MyClass(object):
__metaclass__ = MyMetaclass
print MyClass.Foo
For the second, no. Calling str(MyClass.Foo) invokes MyClass.Foo.__str__(), so you'll need to return an appropriate type for MyClass.Foo.
Surprised no one pointed this one out:
class FooType(type):
#property
def Foo(cls):
return "foo!"
#property
def Bar(cls):
return "bar!"
class MyClass(metaclass=FooType):
pass
Works:
>>> MyClass.Foo
'foo!'
>>> MyClass.Bar
'bar!'
(for Python 2.x, change definition of MyClass to:
class MyClass(object):
__metaclass__ = FooType
)
What the other answers say about str holds true for this solution: It must be implemented on the type actually returned.
Depending on the case I use this pattern
class _TheRealClass:
def __getattr__(self, attr):
pass
LooksLikeAClass = _TheRealClass()
Then you import and use it.
from foo import LooksLikeAClass
LooksLikeAClass.some_attribute
This avoid use of metaclass, and handle some use cases.