Python Dunder Methods

Dunder Methods, alternatively known as magic methods, use a special syntax to perform class-specific operations in Python. Here, “dunder” is the short for “double underscores”. The operations that it performs include the following:

• Performing arithmetic operations on numeric-type attributes.
• Initializing a new class instance and binding any necessary attributes.
• Overloading certain methods to make their behaviors unique to that class.

Syntax

class ClassName:
  __methodname__(self, param1, param2, ... paramN):
    # Method body here

The methodname is all lowercase even if there is more than one word in the name. The first parameter, self, is never explicitly passed as an argument because it refers to the class instance the method would be called against. However, any parameters defined afterward (param1, param2, ... paramN) must be passed as arguments when the dunder method is called.

Example

The following example showcases the __init__() dunder method used for the Home class. This particular method will be called each time a new instance of Home is created, binding the values of any attributes that were passed:

class Home:
  def __init__(self, rooms):
    self.rooms = rooms

myHome = Home(4)

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More information about specific dunder methods can be found below.