On Class namespaces, calling methods

[vsoler]

On Apr 10, 5:28 pm, Laszlo Nagy <gand... at shopzeus.com> wrote:
> > class Uno:
> >     a=1
> >     def m():
> >         print "mouse"
>
> > Say that I have this "silly" class.
>
> > While I can then write
>
> >       print Uno.a
>
> > I cannot write
> >       Uno.m()
>
> > I get the following error message:
>
> >      TypeError: m() takes no arguments (1 given)
>
> As a workaround, use this pattern:
>
>  >>> class Uno(object):
> ...     @classmethod
> ...     def m(cls):
> ...             print "mouse"
> ...
>  >>> Uno.m()
> mouse
>
> > Since I have not created any instances of Uno, there is no self
> > object, and I do not understand what object is supplied to the
> > function call.
>
> The method is not actually called, so nothing is supplied. The error is
> raised when it turns out that the number of actual parameters and the
> number of formal parameters are different.
>
> This is how you call a method:
>
> #1. you try to call Uno.m() - the 'm' method object is found and taken
> #2. argument values are evaluated and taken (in your example, there are
> no arguments)
> #3. an extra argument is inserted in front of the argument list. This
> parameter is the object you where calling the method on. In this case,
> it is the 'Uno' class.
> #4. actual arguments are assigned to formal parameters. If this fails
> for some reason, an exception is raised. In your case - the number of
> actual parameters is one, the number of formal parameters is zero. This
> is why you get an exception.
> #5. If actual and formal parameters are matched, then the implicit self
> parameter is checked. If you call a method, then it must be an instance
> of the class being called (or an instanc of its subclass). For
> classmethods, it must be the same class (or a subclass of it).
> #6. Function body executed, value returned
>
> The implicit parameter (the instance, or for classmethods, the class) is
> ALWAYS added. So if you change your code:
>
> class Uno:
>     def m(self):
>         pass
>
> Then you won't get an exception in #4. But you will in #5, because
> instance methods must be called on an instance, not on a class. You can
> create a classmethod (e.g. with the @classmethod decorator) as shown
> above, and it will work.
>
> > Could anybody explain what argument is being supplied to the method?
> > Is ther any workaround to call the m function?
>
> > Thank you
>
>

Hi Laszlo,

It's perfectly clear.

Thank you very much