overriding method that returns base class object

[Peter Hansen]

Stuart McGraw wrote:
> 
> I have a class A from a third party that I cannot change
> and is implemented in C.  I derive my own class B from A
> and add a couple new methods and override a method.  The
> problem is that A has a method (call it A.f() ) that creates
> and returns a new A object.  I need B.f() to return a B
> object derived from A.f().  What is the best way to make
> that happen?

If I understand this correctly, it has nothing to do with the
fact that the parent class is implemented in C and you just
need to know a little uncommon syntax:

class A:
    def f(self):
        return A()

class B(A):
    def f(self):
        obj = A.f(self)
        # do whatever you want to obj here
        return obj

The key is what you mean by "a B object derived from A.f()".  If
by derived you mean something to do with _inheritance_, then 
either you don't understand inheritance or you weren't clear what
you wanted.

If you just mean you want B's f() to do something special to the 
A object that A.f() returns, then the above code should let you
do that properly...

-Peter