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Python Object-Oriented Python (retired) Objects __init__

Posted by SC3 Rocks
SC3 Rocks
33,474 Points

How does using kwargs reduce repeated code?

The earlier kwargs code looked like this:

def __init__(self, hit_points=10,
                   color='yellow'):
    self.hit_points = hit_points
    self.color = color

The second example still has all the attributes listed twice, but in the kwargs.get() instead of in the parameter list:

def __init__(self, **kwargs):
    self.hit_points = kwargs.get('hit_points', 10)
    self.color = kwargs.get('color', 'yellow')

Either way you're writing the attribute names twice, so besides the benefit of optional arguments in the second example, I don't see how it's better.

1 Answer

jonlunsford
jonlunsford
15,480 Points
jonlunsford
jonlunsford
15,480 Points

the kwargs statement allows multiple parameters to be passed in without breaking the method. In other words, it acts like a dictionary of key:value pairs for the parameters that are passed in. So if you decided to send in another parameter when you initialized like this it wouldn't break the code.

classname(hitpoints = 10, color = "yellow", skill = 50)
SC3 Rocks
SC3 Rocks
33,474 Points

Oh, so by saying "we don't have to write each attribute name twice", I guess what he means is "we don't have to write the attribute once in __init__ and in the initialization call.