Call a classmethod on a variable class name

[Gary Herron]

Matthew Keene wrote:
> I would like to be able to call a specific classmethod on a class name
> that is going to be passed from another parameter.  In other words, I
> have a call that looks something like:
>
>    x = Foo.bar()
>
> and I would like to generalise this so that I can make this call on any
> particular class which provides the bar classmethod.
>
> I have implemented this using exec, like so:
>
>   className = parameters.className
>   exec "x = " + className + ".bar()"
>   

Yuck.   No.  Don't do that.  As a general rule, anything you could build 
and put into an exec is a functionality that is exposed more directly by 
Python.
> but this feels somewhat clumsy.  (I do have the requisite exception
> handling to cope with the supplied class not existing or not
> implementing the bar method, by the way).
>
> Is there any more Pythonesque way of doing this ?  I guess what I'm
> probably looking for is something like the way I understand the send
> function works in Ruby
>   

First off, if possible, don't pass the class name, but instead pass the 
class itself:

    class SomeClass:
        def foo():
            ... whatever...

    ...
    parameters.theClass = SomeClass
    ...
    parameters.theClass.bar()

If you can't do that, then look up that class from the class name and 
make your call:

    class SomeClass:
        def foo():
            ... whatever...

    ...
    parameters.className = 'SomeClass'
    ...
    theClass = globals()[parameters.className]
    parameters.theClass.bar()


(Hint: It matters not whether foo is a classmethod, saticmathod or 
normal method.)

Gary Herron