09/12/2023, 08:05 Learn Python 3: Classes Cheatsheet | Codecademy

Cheatsheets / Learn Python 3

Classes

Python repr method

The Python __repr__() method is used to tell Python what the string representation class Employee:
of the class should be. It can only have one parameter, self , and it should return a
def __init__(self, name):
string.
self.name = name

def __repr__(self):
return self.name

john = Employee('John')
print(john) # John

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Python class methods

In Python, methods are functions that are defined as part of a class. It is common # Dog class
practice that the first argument of any method that is part of a class is the actual
class Dog:
object calling the method. This argument is usually called self.
# Method of the class
def bark(self):
print("Ham-Ham")

# Create a new instance

charlie = Dog()

# Call the method

charlie.bark()
# This will output "Ham-Ham"

Instantiate Python Class

In Python, a class needs to be instantiated before use. class Car:

As an analogy, a class can be thought of as a blueprint (Car), and an instance is an
"This is an empty class"
actual implementation of the blueprint (Ferrari).
pass

# Class Instantiation
ferrari = Car()

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Python Class Variables

In Python, class variables are defined outside of all methods and have the same value class my_class:
for every instance of the class.
class_variable = "I am a Class Variable!"
Class variables are accessed with the instance.variable or class_name.variable
syntaxes.
x = my_class()
y = my_class()

print(x.class_variable) #I am a Class Variable!

print(y.class_variable) #I am a Class Variable!

Python init method

In Python, the .__init__() method is used to initialize a newly created object. It is class Animal:
called every time the class is instantiated.
def __init__(self, voice):
self.voice = voice

# When a class instance is created, the instance variable

# 'voice' is created and set to the input value.
cat = Animal('Meow')
print(cat.voice) # Output: Meow

dog = Animal('Woof')
print(dog.voice) # Output: Woof

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Python type() function

The Python type() function returns the data type of the argument passed to it. a = 1
print(type(a)) # <class 'int'>

a = 1.1
print(type(a)) # <class 'float'>

a = 'b'
print(type(a)) # <class 'str'>

a = None
print(type(a)) # <class 'NoneType'>

Python class

In Python, a class is a template for a data type. A class can be defined using the class # Defining a class
keyword.
class Animal:
def __init__(self, name, number_of_legs):
self.name = name
self.number_of_legs = number_of_legs

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Python dir() function

In Python, the built-in dir() function, without any argument, returns a list of all the class Employee:
attributes in the current scope.
def __init__(self, name):
With an object as argument, dir() tries to return all valid object attributes.
self.name = name

def print_name(self):
print("Hi, I'm " + self.name)

print(dir())
# ['Employee', '__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__',
'__name__', '__package__', 'new_employee']

print(dir(Employee))
# ['__doc__', '__init__', '__module__', 'print_name']

__main__ in Python

In Python, __main__ is an identifier used to reference the current file context. When
a module is read from standard input, a script, or from an interactive prompt, its
__name__ is set equal to __main__ .
Suppose we create an instance of a class called CoolClass . Printing the type() of
the instance will result in:
<class '__main__.CoolClass'>

This means that the class CoolClass was defined in the current script file.

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