Python Attributes Explained

Types of Attributes

Python has several types of attributes that serve different purposes.

• Instance Attributes: Defined inside methods, usually __init__, unique to each object.
• Class Attributes: Defined directly in the class, shared by all instances.
• Dynamic Attributes: Added to objects at runtime.
• Special Attributes: Built-in attributes like __dict__, __class__, etc.

Accessing and Modifying Attributes

You can access attributes using dot notation. To modify, assign a new value to the attribute.

Python also provides built-in functions like getattr(), setattr(), and hasattr() for attribute manipulation.

• Access attribute: obj.attribute
• Modify attribute: obj.attribute = value
• Check if attribute exists: hasattr(obj, 'attribute')
• Get attribute dynamically: getattr(obj, 'attribute', default)
• Set attribute dynamically: setattr(obj, 'attribute', value)

Example: Using Attributes in a Python Class

Let's see a simple example demonstrating instance and class attributes.