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"safely" defining __setattr__ (Python recipe) by Ori Peleg
ActiveState Code (http://code.activestate.com/recipes/497009/)

Overriding __setattr__ in classes requires care when setting attributes yourself. Here's an idea for safely setting attributes in __init__.

Update: this idea doesn't work. See Mike Foord's recipe for one that does:

http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/Recipe/389916

Python, 12 lines
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class MyClass(object):
  def __init__(self, foo, bar):
    # set attributes normally here
    self.foo = foo
    self.bar = bar

    # override __setattr__
    # NOTE: doesn't really work, __setattr_impl won't be called.
    self.__setattr__ = self.__setattr_impl

  def __setattr_impl(self, name, value):
    pass # definition goes here

For different approach to the same issue, see Mike Foord's recipe: http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/Recipe/389916

Tags: shortcuts

3 comments

tomer filiba 17 years, 7 months ago  # | flag

doesn't work :(. __setattr__ will only work if it exists at the class level.

here's a snapshot:

>>> class MyClass(object):
...   def __init__(self, foo, bar):
...     # set attributes normally here
...     self.foo = foo
...     self.bar = bar
...
...     # override __setattr__
...     self.__setattr__ = self.__setattr_impl
...
...   def __setattr_impl(self, name, value):
...     print "blah"
...
>>>
>>> m=MyClass(1,2)
>>> m.x=8
>>>

"blah" isn't printed...

(sup dude? i'm bored, i know... i'm telling you, down with types and classes. we don't need them. go antitype! :)

Ian Bicking 17 years, 7 months ago  # | flag

new-style. There's a good chance this would work with old-style classes (haven't tested though). New-style classes are more picky about magic methods being in the class.

Ori Peleg (author) 17 years, 7 months ago  # | flag

My mistake. This doesn't seem to work in new-style _or_ old-style classes. I don't know why I thought it did work.

Created by Ori Peleg on Thu, 31 Aug 2006 (PSF)
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