How Do I Call Parent Class Methods in Python Child Classes?

How to Invoke Parent Class Methods in Python Child Classes

In object-oriented programming, derived classes typically need to access methods defined in their parent classes. This is a common scenario that arises when creating complex class hierarchies. However, Python's naming conventions may raise some questions for developers coming from other languages like Perl and Java.

Unlike Perl's "SUPER" or Java's "super" keywords, Python doesn't offer a predefined means to call parent methods. Instead, you must explicitly specify the parent class name when invoking the method. This can introduce challenges in maintaining deep class hierarchies, where tracing the lineage of inherited methods becomes convoluted.

To overcome this limitation and seamlessly call parent methods, Python provides the super() function. This utility enables you to invoke methods from the parent class without explicitly referencing its name. Let's examine how to use super() with a simple example:

class Foo(Bar):
    def baz(self, **kwargs):
        return super().baz(**kwargs)

In this code, the Foo class inherits from Bar and defines a baz() method. Within the baz() method of Foo, we can invoke the baz() method from Bar using super().baz(**kwargs).

If you're using Python versions earlier than 3, you'll need to explicitly enable the use of new-style classes and write the code as follows:

class Foo(Bar):
    def baz(self, arg):
        return super(Foo, self).baz(arg)

By utilizing super() in this manner, you can easily invoke parent methods, regardless of the depth of your class hierarchy. This keeps your code clean and maintainable, alleviating the need to explicitly name the parent class when accessing its methods.

The above is the detailed content of How Do I Call Parent Class Methods in Python Child Classes?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!