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Python

Michael Braun
Michael Braun
6,753 Points
Posted by Michael Braun
Michael Braun
6,753 Points

Python - magic methods and override

I'm very new to programming and I am currently completing the python track. Kenneth keeps talking about override when it comes to magic methods but I don't really understand what that means. I feel like I have a very surface level understanding of what init() and new() does but I don't really know what's going on. I am just copying whatever he does in his videos to make the code work for the challenges, without understanding what I am actually doing. Would you guys mind explaining from your guys' point of view what override is and why it exists and what it does?

Thanks a lot!!

1 Answer

Alexander Davison
Alexander Davison
65,469 Points
Alexander Davison
Alexander Davison
65,469 Points

Magic methods are methods that are automatically called by Python at the appropriate time. For instance, __init__ is called by Python when you create a new instance of that class. However, just because it is a "magic" method doesn't mean you can't call it yourself. You are allowed to something like object.__init__()

Overriding is the act of modifying the method that a child class inherited from a parent class.

All "base" classes are actually inherited from the special class object, so when you "create" the method __init__, it actually is overriding object's method __init__