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Python

nicole lumpkin
PLUS
nicole lumpkin
Courses Plus Student 5,328 Points
Posted by nicole lumpkin
nicole lumpkin
Courses Plus Student 5,328 Points

Why can't we access the value attribute after adding or multiplying in place?

Here is our class NumString:

class NumString:
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.value = str(value)

    def __str__(self):
         return self.value

    def __int__(self):
        return int(self.value)

    def __float__(self):
        return float(self.value)

    def __add__(self, other):
        if '.' in self.value:
            return float(self) + other
        return int(self) + other

    def __radd__(self, other):
        return self + other

    def __iadd__(self, other):
        self.value = self + other
        return self.value

    def __mul__(self, other):
        if '.' in self.value or '.' in str(other):
            return float(self.value) * other
        return int(self.value) * other

    def __rmul__(self, other):
        return self * other

If I set an instance of NumString to a variable I am able to access the value attribute directly from age.

age = NumString(32)
age.value # this yields '32'

But if I increment age as defined via special methods add and iadd, the result is an AttributeError is raised.

age += 1
age # is now the integer 32

age.value #AttributeError: 'int' object has no attribute 'value'

Wouldn't we want to be able to access age's value attribute post in place addition? And if so is there a magic method that handles this case? This isn't mentioned in the videos but it's driving me crazy ;)

Thanks!

1 Answer

Kirill Babkin
Kirill Babkin
19,940 Points
Kirill Babkin
Kirill Babkin
19,940 Points

Hey You answered your own question 

age += 1
age # is now the integer 32
age.value #AttributeError: 'int' object has no attribute 'value'

age is now an int and not a reference to an obj NumString and int has no attribute value

as a result of this method you return an int or float: 

def __add__(self, other):
        if '.' in self.value:
            return float(self) + other
        return int(self) + other

^^^^ in the example above you return an int type or float type this makes age an int or float

try changing it in a way taht it would modify the obj and not return a number 

def __add__(self, other):
        if '.' in self.value:
            self.value  = float(self.value) + other
        else 
            self.value = int(self.value) + other
       return self

here ^^ you return a ref to obj.

it might not work thoug. Just demonstrating a concept ;-) Good luck!!