How Do I Create and Use Class (Static) Variables and Methods in Python?

Creating Class (Static) Variables and Methods in Python

Python allows you to create class-level (static) variables and methods, providing a centralized mechanism for storing and accessing data and functionality associated with a class.

Class (Static) Variables:

Variables declared within the class definition, outside of any method, are considered class or static variables. These variables are shared among all instances of the class.

class MyClass:
    i = 3  # Class (static) variable

Class (Static) Methods:

Unlike class variables, static methods can access class variables and methods, but they do not receive any instance-specific data via the self parameter. This makes them suitable for actions that operate at the class level rather than within the context of an instance.

To create a static method, use the @staticmethod decorator:

class C:
    @staticmethod
    def f(arg1, arg2, ...): ...

Class Methods vs. Static Methods:

While both class methods and static methods operate at the class level, class methods receive the class type as their first argument. This allows them to access both static variables and instance data.

For example, using a class method to create a factory method:

class MyClass:
    @classmethod
    def create(cls, data):
       ...  # Create an instance using `cls`, which is the class type

Recommendation:

@beidy suggests using class methods over static methods when possible, as it provides more flexibility and allows the method to work with instance data.

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