Welcome, guest | Sign In | My Account | Store | Cart

Class methods were introduced in python2.2. The following code illistrates how the same effect can be achived in python 2.1 and probably under although I haven't checked.

Python, 16 lines
 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
# junk.py

def classmethod(method):
    '''Impulate py2.2 classmethod function. -> class method'''
    return lambda self, *args, **dict: method(self.__class__, *args, **dict)

class Foo:
    def bar(klass):
        print 'In', klass, 'bar()'
    bar = classmethod(bar)

Foo().bar()

output = '''
In junk.Foo bar()
'''

Class methods are handy, even on earlier versions of python.

3 comments

Sébastien Keim 22 years, 1 month ago  # | flag

not absolutly similar to 2.2 class methods. In python 2.2, with class methods, you can write things like: Foo.bar() The same thing with the previous classmethod function raise: unbound method must be called with instance as first argument.

By the way, the code use nested scopes so it won't work with old python versions.

Justin Shaw (author) 22 years, 1 month ago  # | flag

Yup ... Yeah, It's got some problems, but I have used this effectiely regardless.

Thanks for the comment. Maybe you can help me with this one.

Making __setattr__, and __getattr__ into classmethods I get the following error:

class Foo:
    def __setattr__(klass, name, value):
        return setattr(klass, name, value)
    __setattr__ = classmethod(__setattr__)
    def __getattr__(klass, name):
        return getattr(klass, name)
    __getattr__ = classmethod(__getattr__)
f = Foo()
f.junk = 'junk'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "", line 1, in ?
  File "C:\Python\Python22\junk.py", line 15, in ?
    f.junk = 'junk'
TypeError: 'classmethod' object is not callable


This DOES work with my classmethod?! Any ideas?
Sébastien Bigaret 21 years, 10 months ago  # | flag

Python2.1 needs nested_scopes. For this classmethod to work the following statement is needed:

from __future__ import nested_scopes

cf. http://www.python.org/doc/2.1/ref/nested-scopes.html

Created by Justin Shaw on Mon, 11 Feb 2002 (PSF)
Python recipes (4591)
Justin Shaw's recipes (4)

Required Modules

  • (none specified)

Other Information and Tasks