On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 17:58:09 -0400, Chuck Allison wrote (in article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>):
> Hello Chinook, > > So is the main motivation for class methods so that you can have the > class object available? It seems you can have that anyway in a static > method by just asking. I'm sure there's a good reason for this, but I > haven't yet gotten to the point of mastery where I can see a need for > class methods (even after reading Martelli's Nutshell). I understand > the syntax issues - I just don't see the need yet. > > Tuesday, June 21, 2005, 3:28:48 PM, you wrote: > > C> On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:52:09 -0400, Chuck Allison wrote > C> (in article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>): > >>> Sorry for the elementary question: I was wondering if someone could >>> explain the difference to me between class and static methods. Coming >>> from other languages, I'm used to static methods, but not "class >>> methods". Thanks. >>> >>> > > C> Does this help (from the QR)? > > C> Static methods : Use staticmethod(f) to make method f(x) static (unbound). > C> Class methods: like a static but takes the Class as 1st argument => Use f > = > C> classmethod(f) to make method f(theClass, x) a class method. > > C> The decorators @staticmethod and @classmethod replace more elegantly the > C> equivalent declarations f = staticmethod(f) and f = classmethod(f). > > C> Lee C > > > C> _______________________________________________ > C> Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org > C> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor > > > > Chuck, Being fairly new to Python myself, I know how to create them and how to reference them. I also know to use a static method in a factory pattern because it's name is then local to the scope it is defined in and it is called without an instance argument. Mostly they work like simple functions that happen to be coded inside a class. Static methods are usually used with class attributes to manage information that spans all instances generated from a class (a book's example is keeping track of the number of instances generated from a class). Class methods are similar, but Python automatically passes the class (not an instance) into the method's leftmost argument. I have also read that such was introduced to clear up a gotcha before Python 2.3 Yea, yea, your saying, but you never answered my question :~) All I can relate to at this point in my learning cycle is that it's all a name space issue (re: instance, static and class). Maybe one of the gurus can enlighten both of us further. Lee C _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
