OOP & classes
Classes, instances, methods, dataclasses, and object-oriented design in Python.
Compute Derived Fields with @dataclass __post_init__ in Python
Compute derived fields like distance, area, and perimeter automatically in Python dataclasses using __post_init__ and field(init=False).
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from math import sqrt
@dataclass
class Point:
x: float
y: float
distance: float = field(init=False)
def __post_init__(self):
self.distance = sqrt(self.x ** 2 + self.y ** 2)
@dataclass
class Rectangle:
width: float
height: float
area: flo…Design a Data Helper Class in Python
Create a simple Object-Oriented data helper with DataPoint and Dataset classes that store, describe, and summarize coordinate points.
class DataPoint:
def __init__(self, x, y):
self.x = x
self.y = y
self.label = None
def describe(self):
"""Return a human-readable description of the data point."""
base = f"DataPoint(x={self.x}, y={self.y})"
return f"{base}, label='{self.label}'" if self.label e…How to Build a Data Helper Class in Python with OOP
Create a beginner-friendly Python class that loads CSV data, filters records by field, and counts entries using object-oriented programming.
class DataHelper:
"""A beginner-friendly OOP helper for handling simple datasets."""
def __init__(self, filename):
self.filename = filename
self.data = self._load_data()
def _load_data(self):
"""Load data from a CSV file into a list of dictionaries."""
import csv
…How to Call a Parent Class __init__ with super() in Python
Shows how to chain __init__ calls through a class hierarchy using super(), so each class sets its own attributes while reusing the parent's initialization logic.
class Animal:
def __init__(self, name, species):
self.name = name
self.species = species
print(f"Animal init: {self.name}, {self.species}")
class Mammal(Animal):
def __init__(self, name, species, fur_color):
super().__init__(name, species)
self.fur_color = fur_color
…How to Compare Dataclass Instances by Specific Fields in Python
Use @dataclass(order=True) with field(compare=False) to control which fields determine ordering and equality between instances.
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import Any
@dataclass(order=True)
class Person:
name: str = field(compare=False)
age: int
height_cm: float
priority: int = field(compare=False, default=0)
def __repr__(self):
return f"Person(name={self.name!r}, age={self.age}, height={s…How to Convert Data Types in Python with a Helper Class
This code defines a beginner-friendly OOP helper class for common data conversions like string to list, list to dict, JSON string, and CSV row, with an advanced subclass for numeric casting.
class DataConverter:
"""A beginner-friendly helper class for common data conversions."""
def __init__(self, data):
self.data = data
def to_list(self):
"""Convert string data (comma-separated) to a list."""
if isinstance(self.data, str):
return [item.strip() for…How to Count Items in a Python Class
A beginner-friendly Inventory class that stores item quantities in a dictionary and provides add, remove, count, and summary methods.
class Inventory:
def __init__(self):
self.items = {}
def add(self, item, quantity=1):
self.items[item] = self.items.get(item, 0) + quantity
def remove(self, item, quantity=1):
if item not in self.items:
raise ValueError(f"{item} not in inventory")
self.items[it…How to Create Immutable Data Classes with frozen=True in Python
Create immutable data classes in Python using @dataclass(frozen=True) to prevent attribute modifications after instantiation.
from dataclasses import dataclass
@dataclass(frozen=True)
class Point:
x: float
y: float
def distance_from_origin(self) -> float:
return (self.x**2 + self.y**2) ** 0.5
if __name__ == "__main__":
p = Point(3.0, 4.0)
print(p)
print(f"Distance from origin: {p.distance_from_origin():.2f}…How to Create a Data Helper Class in Python with OOP
A complete OOP example with User, Post, and Blog classes that manage data relationships and provide clear helper methods.
class User:
def __init__(self, name, email):
self.name = name
self.email = email
self.posts = []
def create_post(self, title, content):
post = Post(title, content, self)
self.posts.append(post)
return post
def get_post_count(self):
return len(self.p…How to Create an Immutable Money Class in Python with dataclasses
Define a frozen dataclass Money that holds an amount and currency, enforces non-negative amounts, and supports safe addition across matching currencies.
from dataclasses import dataclass
@dataclass(frozen=True)
class Money:
amount: float
currency: str = "USD"
def __post_init__(self) -> None:
if self.amount < 0:
raise ValueError("amount must be non-negative")
def add(self, other: "Money") -> "Money":
if self.currency != o…How to Create an Iterable Class with __iter__ and __next__ in Python
Build custom iterable classes in Python by implementing the __iter__ and __next__ dunder methods to yield items on demand.
class EvenNumbers:
def __init__(self, limit):
self.limit = limit
self.current = 0
def __iter__(self):
return self
def __next__(self):
if self.current >= self.limit:
raise StopIteration
result = self.current
self.current += 2
return resul…How to Define Dataclass Field Defaults in Python
Implement a Python dataclass with default values for simple fields and default factories for mutable collections.
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import List
@dataclass
class Product:
name: str
price: float = 0.0
quantity: int = 0
tags: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)
metadata: dict = field(default_factory=dict)
if __name__ == "__main__":
p1 = Product("Laptop", 999.99, 5)
…How to Define a Simple Python Class with __init__ and __repr__
Define a basic Python class with an __init__ method to set instance attributes and a __repr__ method for a readable representation of objects.
class Person:
def __init__(self, name, age):
self.name = name
self.age = age
def __repr__(self):
return f"Person(name={self.name!r}, age={self.age!r})"
if __name__ == "__main__":
person = Person("Alice", 30)
print(person)How to Implement Rich Comparison Ordering in Python Classes
This code demonstrates how to implement rich comparison operators (like <, <=, >, >=, ==, !=) in a Python class by defining __lt__ and __eq__, enabling sorting and ordering of custom objects.
class Task:
def __init__(self, priority, name):
self.priority = priority
self.name = name
def __lt__(self, other):
if not isinstance(other, Task):
return NotImplemented
return self.priority < other.priority
def __eq__(self, other):
if not isinstance(oth…How to define a custom exception class in Python with an error code attribute
Create a custom exception class with extra attributes like an error code, then raise and catch it in a try/except block.
class UserNotFoundError(Exception):
def __init__(self, user_id, error_code=404):
self.user_id = user_id
self.error_code = error_code
super().__init__(f"User with ID {user_id} was not found (error code: {error_code})")
def find_user(user_id, users_db):
if user_id not in users_db:
…How to merge dictionaries by a key in Python with a class
This code defines a DataMerger class that collects dictionary records and merges them by a specified key, combining fields from multiple records with the same key.
class DataMerger:
def __init__(self):
self.records = []
def add_record(self, record):
if isinstance(record, dict):
self.records.append(record)
else:
raise TypeError("Record must be a dictionary")
def merge_by_key(self, key):
merged = {}
for …Parse CSV Data with a Python Class
Encapsulate CSV file loading and column/row access methods in a reusable DataParser class for beginners.
class DataParser:
def __init__(self, file_path):
self.file_path = file_path
self.data = []
def load_data(self):
with open(self.file_path, 'r') as file:
for line in file:
row = line.strip().split(',')
self.data.append(row)
return self.…Validate dataclass fields with __post_init__ in Python
Add custom validation to a Python dataclass inside __post_init__, raising ValueError or TypeError for invalid field values.
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import Optional
@dataclass
class Product:
name: str
price: float
quantity: int = 1
category: Optional[str] = None
def __post_init__(self):
if not self.name or not isinstance(self.name, str):
raise ValueError("name must be a…Browse by section
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