EP 25 Initialize Parent Classes with `super`

• Python's standard method resolution order (MRO) solves the problems of superclass intialization order and diamond inheritance.

• Always use the super built-in function to initialize parent classes.

Effective Python

Early python 2

from pprint import pprint

class MyBaseClass:
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.value = value

class TimesTwo:
    def __init__(self):
        self.value *= 2

class PlusFive:
    def __init__(self):
        self.value += 5

class OneWay(MyBaseClass, TimesTwo, PlusFive):
    def __init__(self, value):
        MyBaseClass.__init__(self, value)
        TimesTwo.__init__(self)
        PlusFive.__init__(self)

print(OneWay(5).value)

Two problems:

• Multiple inheritance
• Diamond inheritance

Multiple inheritance

class OneWay(MyBaseClass, TimesTwo, PlusFive):
    def __init__(self, value):
        MyBaseClass.__init__(self, value)
        TimesTwo.__init__(self)
        PlusFive.__init__(self)

We can initilize class against the order of inheritance.

class OneWay(MyBaseClass, TimesTwo, PlusFive):
    def __init__(self, value):
        MyBaseClass.__init__(self, value)
        PlusFive.__init__(self)
        TimesTwo.__init__(self)

MRO: Method Resolution Order

Diamond inheritance with bad practice

# diamond inheritance
class TimesFive(MyBaseClass):
    def __init__(self, value):
        MyBaseClass.__init__(self, value)
        self.value *= 5

class PlusTwo(MyBaseClass):
    def __init__(self, value):
        MyBaseClass.__init__(self, value)
        self.value += 2

class ThisWay(TimesFive, PlusFive):
    def __init__(self, value):
        TimesFive.__init__(self, value)
        PlusTwo.__init__(self, value)

foo = ThisWay(5)
print(foo.value)

Expected:
5 * 5 + 2 = 27

Actual:
7

However, we get 7 because self.value is initialized TimesFive.__init__(self, value) and PlusTwo.__init__(self, value).

super

# Python2
class TimesFiveCorrect(MyBaseClass):
    def __init__(self, value):
        super(TimesFiveCorrect, self).__init__(value)
        self.value *= 5

class PlusTwoCorrect(MyBaseClass):
    def __init__(self, value):
        super(PlusTwoCorrect, self).__init__(value)
        self.value += 2

# Python 2
class GoodWay(TimesFiveCorrect, PlusTwoCorrect):
    def __init__(self, value):
        super(GoodWay, self).__init__(value)

foo = GoodWay(5)
print(foo.value)

print(GoodWay.mro())

>>>
[<class '__main__.GoodWay'>,
<class '__main__.TimesFiveCorrect'>,
<class '__main__.PlusTwoCorrect'>,
<class '__main__.MyBaseClass'>,
<class 'object'>]

__class__ does not work in Python2.

# Python 3
class Explicit(MyBaseClass):
    def __init__(self, value):
        super(__class__, self).__init__(value * 2)

class Implicit(MyBaseClass):
    def __init__(self, value):
        super().__init__(value * 2)