__new__ vs. __init__
__new__ vs. __init__ Methods in Python
What Is the __new__ Method in Python?
The new method is a static method that belongs to the class itself. It’s responsible for creating and returning a new instance of the class. The method takes the class as its first argument, followed by any additional arguments that need to be passed to it.
class MyClass:
def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
instance = super().__new__(cls)
return instance
The __new__
method is called before the __init__
method and is often used when you need to control the object creation process, like in the case of singletons or when you want to inherit from immutable classes.
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What Is the __init__ Method in Python?
The __init__
method, on the other hand, is an instance method that is responsible for initializing the newly created object.
Python __init__ Method Defined
In Python, __init__
is an instance method that initializes a newly created object. It takes the object as its first argument followed by additional arguments.
The method takes the object as its first argument (self), followed by any additional arguments that need to be passed to it.
class MyClass:
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
self.attribute = 'value'
The __init__
method is called after the object is created by the __new__
method, and it initializes the object attributes with the values passed as arguments.
Differences Between __new__ and __init__
__new__
is a static method, while__init__
is an instance method.__new__
is responsible for creating and returning a new instance, while__init__
is responsible for initializing the attributes of the newly created object.__new__
is called before__init__
.__new__
happens first, then__init__
.__new__
can return any object, while__init__
must returnNone
.
When to Use __new__ in Python
You should use __new__
when you need to control the creation of the object. For example, you might want to use __new__
to:
- Ensure that the object is of a certain type.
- Set the object’s initial state.
- Prevent the object from being created.
When to Use __init__ in Python
You should use __init__
when you need to initialize the object. For example, you might want to use __init__
to:
- Set the object’s attributes.
- Call the object’s superclass’
__init__
method. - Perform other initialization tasks.
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Python __new__ and __init__ Examples
To better understand the differences between __new__
and __init__
, let’s take a look at a simple example:
class Person:
def __new__(cls, name, age):
print("Creating a new Person object")
instance = super().__new__(cls)
return instance
def __init__(self, name, age):
print("Initializing the Person object")
self.name = name
self.age = age
person = Person("John Doe", 30)
print(f"Person's name: {person.name}, age: {person.age}")
# Creating a new Person object
# Initializing the Person object
# Person's name: John Doe, age: 30
In this example, we can see how the __new__
method is called before the __init__
method, and how they work together to create and initialize the Person
object.