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Python Object-Oriented Python Inheritance Multiple Superclasses

Edan Leibovitz
Edan Leibovitz
4,958 Points

why did you define class variable and instance variable with the same name- sneaky?

Why did you define class variable and instance variable with the same name- sneaky? Isn't it that the instance variable shadows the class variable? If so, the class variable has no actual meaning.

2 Answers

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,454 Points

The class attribute is still present even if the instance attribute has the same name. When looking up values, Python checks the instance then the class attributes.

# a simple class with one attribute 
class ClassOne:
    color = "white"

    def __init__(self, color, **kwargs):
        self.color = color

        for key, value in kwargs.items():
            setattr(self, key, value)
>>> c = ClassOne("red")
>>> c.color
"red"
>>> del c.color # delete instance attribute 
>>> c.color
"white"
>>> ClassOne.color
"white"
nuri jeon
nuri jeon
14,376 Points

Aha :D thanks ! I was wondering about the same stuff! XD yay