Python class with class method

Question

I have a python class such as the following

def function1():
   return=1+1

class Collection()
...
@classmethod
def get_allobjects(cls):
      ..logic here..
      retval = function1()

function1 is encapsulated from the outerlying class but needs to be available for get_allobjects. What would be the best way to define this function? Should it be defined as a class method or can it be left as a stand alone function inside of the same python file (defined before the class?)? Any advice or pointers on style would be appreciated.

Thanks, Jeff

Can you explain what you mean by " is encapsulated from the outerlying class"? Perhaps you can show where function1 actually lives, or provide a couple of examples if you're trying to cover multiple scenarios? — Grismar
– Grismar, Commented Mar 11, 2019 at 2:31
thank you. I think(?) I used the word correctly. It doesn't interact with any of the class variables. — ffejrekaburb
– ffejrekaburb, Commented Mar 11, 2019 at 2:39
The answer to your question really depends on what function1 actually does in relation to get_allobjects; there are many ways to approach this. Based on what you are showing though, function1 should be just fine where you show it. — l'L'l
– l'L'l, Commented Mar 11, 2019 at 2:44
thank you. It feels bad style to me but I may be overly constraining myself to C++ style thinking. — ffejrekaburb
– ffejrekaburb, Commented Mar 11, 2019 at 2:57
'Encapsulation' generally means containing something inside of something else to hide it from the outside - the example your giving is rather the opposite. Perhaps you mean 'independent' or possibly 'isolated'. It's not clear what you mean by 'outerlying', as this is not a word, as far as I know. Assuming you meant to write 'outlying', it still does not make sense, as there is no 'outlying class', perhaps you meant to say "independent from the class get_allobjects is a member of". — Grismar
– Grismar, Commented Mar 11, 2019 at 3:16

Grismar · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-11 04:24:20Z

It really depends on the context. Your options:

a global function
As in your example code. This would make the function visible to all who import your module, just as the class itself is.

def function1():
    return=1+1

        function1()

a global, but 'hidden' function
Use a name that starts with an _ to indicate that it's not supposed to be used externally. People still can, but it would generate warnings.

def _function1():
    return=1+1

        _function1()

a class method
This really only makes sense if the method need access to something on the class, which is why it is passed a reference to the class.

    @classmethod
    def function1(cls):
        return=1+cls.some_class_attribute

        self.function1()

a static method
This may be what you're looking for, as it limits access to the function to whoever has access to the class (or an instance), but it does not allow access to the class or instances itself.

    @staticmethod
    def function1():
        return=1+1

        self.function1()

and finally, you may want to hide the class or static method
For the same reason as before, perhaps you only want methods in the class itself to have access, not everyone who has a hold of the class or an instance.

    @staticmethod
    def _function1():
        return=1+1

        self._function1()

It all depends on how visible you want the function to be and whether or not the logic of the function is really independent of the class, or whether it only makes sense in context of the class.

There's more options still, for example defining the function as a sub-function of the method itself, but that's only really sensible if the construction of the function itself somehow depends on the state of the class/object when it is constructed.

thank you. just for clarification global would still need to be prefaced by module name in any other modules?
That depends on how it would be imported. If you import like import my_module, then yes, you'd call it with my_module.function1() (assuming you are talking about the global function). But if you import like from my_module import function1, you can just call it using function1().
Also, if this answers your question (and it seems it does), please accept the answer so the question gets marked as answered.

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