Class factory functions

[Steven D'Aprano]

Here's a simple class-factory function that returns a sub-class of the
old-style class it is passed.

def verbosify_oclas s(klass):
"""Returns a verbose sub-class of old-style klass."""
class VClass(klass):
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling initializer __init__ ..."
klass.__init__( self, *args, **kwargs)
return VClass
Here it is in action:

>>class Parrot:

.... def __init__(self, colour): self.colour = colour
....

>>VParrot = verbosify_oclas s(Parrot)
bird = VParrot('red')

Calling initializer __init__ ...

>>bird.colour

'red'
Here's an equivalent for new-style classes. It uses super() because I
understand that super() is preferred to calling the super-class by name.
def verbosify_nclas s(klass):
"""Returns a verbose sub-class of new-style klass."""
class VClass(klass):
def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling constructor __new__ ..."
return super(klass, cls).__new__(cl s, *args, **kwargs)
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling initializer __init__ ..."
super(klass, self).__init__( *args, **kwargs)
return VClass

But it doesn't work:

>>vint = verbosify_nclas s(int)
vint(42)

Calling constructor __new__ ...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
File "<stdin>", line 6, in __new__
TypeError: object.__new__( VClass) is not safe, use int.__new__()
What am I doing wrong?
Here's one solution: dump the call to super() and call the super-class
directly. It seems to work. Are there any problems in not using super()?
What about multiple inheritance?
def verbosify_nclas s2(klass):
"""Returns a verbose sub-class of new-style klass."""
class VClass(klass):
def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling constructor __new__ ..."
return klass.__new__(k lass, *args, **kwargs)
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling initializer __init__ ..."
super(klass, self).__init__( *args, **kwargs)
return VClass

--
Steven.

[Peter Otten]

Steven D'Aprano wrote:

Here's a simple class-factory function that returns a sub-class of the
old-style class it is passed.

def verbosify_oclas s(klass):
"""Returns a verbose sub-class of old-style klass."""
class VClass(klass):
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling initializer __init__ ..."
klass.__init__( self, *args, **kwargs)
return VClass
Here it is in action:

>>>class Parrot:

... def __init__(self, colour): self.colour = colour
...

>>>VParrot = verbosify_oclas s(Parrot)
bird = VParrot('red')

Calling initializer __init__ ...

>>>bird.colou r

'red'
Here's an equivalent for new-style classes. It uses super() because I
understand that super() is preferred to calling the super-class by name.
def verbosify_nclas s(klass):
"""Returns a verbose sub-class of new-style klass."""
class VClass(klass):
def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling constructor __new__ ..."
return super(klass, cls).__new__(cl s, *args, **kwargs)
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling initializer __init__ ..."
super(klass, self).__init__( *args, **kwargs)
return VClass

But it doesn't work:

>>>vint = verbosify_nclas s(int)
vint(42)

Calling constructor __new__ ...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
File "<stdin>", line 6, in __new__
TypeError: object.__new__( VClass) is not safe, use int.__new__()
What am I doing wrong?

Why would you skip VClass in the super() calls? This should work:

def verbosify_nclas s(klass):
"""Returns a verbose sub-class of new-style klass."""
class VClass(klass):
def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling constructor __new__ ..."
return super(VClass, cls).__new__(cl s, *args, **kwargs)
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
print "Calling initializer __init__ ..."
super(VClass, self).__init__( *args, **kwargs)
return VClass

Peer

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 11:58:00 +0200, Peter Otten wrote:

>But it doesn't work:

>>>>vint = verbosify_nclas s(int)
vint(42)

Calling constructor __new__ ...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
File "<stdin>", line 6, in __new__
TypeError: object.__new__( VClass) is not safe, use int.__new__()
What am I doing wrong?

Why would you skip VClass in the super() calls?

That's a good question. If I every get a good answer, I'll let you know.

This should work:

[snip]

As indeed it seems like it does.

Thank you,

--
Steven.