XML Processing with Python

5.6. Object Orientation

We have already encountered some of Python's object-orientation features in the discussion of the list and dictionary built-in classes.

In this section, we talk about declaring classes and creating objects. We also take a look at how inheritance works in Python.

Classes are created with the class keyword. The code below creates a trivial class foo that has a class variable x.

CD-ROM reference=5092.txt
>>> class foo:
... x = 1
>>> print foo.x
1

Objects can be created from the class foo in a syntax reminiscent of a function call:

CD-ROM reference=5093.txt
>>> class foo:
... x = 1
...
>>> f = foo()
>>> print f.x
1

Classes can contain methods. Methods are defined in a syntax similar to that for functions. The big difference ...