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all variables are objects
Python is a truly object oriented language, where every variable is an object, and every piece of code is a method. That means that even a named block of code is an object, held in a named variable and that even an operator like "+" is really just a shorthand for a method call - __add__ in this case. The result is a very efficient language which, once you learn how to use it, has a flexibility beyond your dreams. Here's a sample piece of code in which we're defining a class of clothing ... adding clothes together adds the weight of each piece of clothing, and combines the colours as a string adding in the word "and" in between - a typical use of an overloaded operator in Python. """Demonstration that in Python ... all operations are methods all variables (including code) are objects all blocks are defined using insets. """ class clothing: """ A simple class with a constructor and two property accessors. We also redefine addition and the equality test for clothing """ def __init__(self,colour,weight): self.colour=colour self.weight=weight def getcolour(self): return self.colour def getweight(self): return self.weight def __add__(self,second): result = clothing(self.colour,self.weight) result.weight += second.weight result.colour += " and " + second.colour return result def __eq__(first,second): if first.weight == second.weight and \ first.colour == second.colour: return 1 return 0 # Test code - to be run only if this file is # run standalone if __name__ == "__main__": wearing = [] wearing.append(clothing("blue",1.0)) wearing.append(clothing("brown",1.25)) # Following lines both run the __add__ method outfit = wearing[0] + wearing[1] wearing.append(outfit) wearing.append(outfit.__add__(wearing[1])) # Following lines show that methods are objects print wearing.append print wearing[0].getcolour for haveon in wearing: print "I am wearing something coloured",haveon.getcolour(), print "And weighing",haveon.getweight(),"kgs" Here's what you'll see when you run that code [localhost:~/ipy] graham% python address <built-in method append of list object at 0x3c38a0> <bound method clothing.getcolour of <__main__.clothing instance at 0x40a580>> I am wearing something coloured blue And weighing 1.0 kgs I am wearing something coloured brown And weighing 1.25 kgs I am wearing something coloured blue and brown And weighing 2.25 kgs I am wearing something coloured blue and brown and brown And weighing 3.5 kgs [localhost:~/ipy] graham% See also Object Orientation in Python Please note that articles in this section of our
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