Python Classes and Objects: Beginner Python tutorials 13 | Better4Code

Python Classes and Objects: Python is an object-oriented programming language, which means that it is designed to work with objects and classes. A class is a blueprint for creating objects that define a set of attributes and methods. In this article, we’ll explore Python classes and objects, and provide some examples to illustrate their usage.

Defining a Class in Python

To define a class in Python, you use the keyword “class” followed by the name of the class. Here is an example:

class Dog:
    def __init__(self, name, age):
        self.name = name
        self.age = age

    def bark(self):
        print("Woof!")

This creates a class called Dog with two attributes (name and age) and a method called bark. The init method is a special method that is called when an object is created from the class. It takes the self parameter, which refers to the object being created, and any other parameters needed to initialize the object.

Creating Objects from a Class

To create an object from a class, you call the class as if it were a function. Here is an example:

my_dog = Dog("Rex", 3)

This creates an object called my_dog of the Dog class with the name “Rex” and age 3.

Accessing Attributes and Methods of an Object

To access the attributes and methods of an object, you use the dot notation. Here is an example:

print(my_dog.name)  # Output: Rex
my_dog.bark()  # Output: Woof!

This accesses the name attribute and the bark method of the my_dog object.

Inheritance

Inheritance is a powerful feature of object-oriented programming that allows you to define a new class based on an existing class. The new class inherits all the attributes and methods of the existing class, and can also add new attributes and methods. Here is an example:

class Puppy(Dog):
    def wag_tail(self):
        print("Wagging tail!")

my_puppy = Puppy("Max", 1)
print(my_puppy.age)  # Output: 1
my_puppy.wag_tail()  # Output: Wagging tail!

This creates a new class called Puppy that inherits from the Dog class. The Puppy class has a new method called wag_tail.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored Python classes and objects and provided examples to illustrate their usage. We learned how to define a class, create objects from a class, access the attributes and methods of an object, and use inheritance to create new classes based on existing classes. By understanding these concepts, you can take full advantage of the object-oriented programming features of Python and create complex, reusable code.