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Python Object-Oriented Python (retired) Inheritance Intro to Inheritance

Can an instance variable, e.g. self.xxx have the same name as a class variable? If so, is this a good practice?

Would the following code be OK?

class Widget():
     weight = 10
     length = 5
     thickness = 2
     widget_count = 0

     def __init__(self, the_weight, the_length, the_thickness):
        #do these assignments affect the class variables, which have
        #the same name?
         self.weight = the_weight
         self.length = the_length
         self.thickness = the_thickness

If an object is created from this class, do the properties refer to the class variables or the instance variables, e.g.:

my_widget = Widget(30, 110, 6)

my_widget.weight = #10 or 30? my_widget.length = # 5 or 110? my_widget.thickness = #2 or 6?

I know that Widget.widget_count returns 1 but is there a way to get to this class variable from within the object instance, e.g

my_widget.Parent.widget_count ?

Thank you

1 Answer

Kenneth Love
STAFF
Kenneth Love
Treehouse Guest Teacher

Anything assigned explicitly to self will always refer to an instance, not the class.

To get back to the class, use self.__class__ or <instance>.__class__ where <instance> is an instance... yeah.