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Python and MySQL

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init() Method

The __init__ method in Python is a special method used for initializing newly created objects. It's a key part of Python classes and is known as a constructor in other object-oriented programming languages. The __init__ method is called automatically right after an object of a class is instantiated, allowing the class to initialize the object's attributes or perform any initial setup the object requires.

Here’s a breakdown of its features:

Syntax

class ClassName:
   def __init__(self, parameter1, parameter2):
       self.attribute1 = parameter1
       self.attribute2 = parameter2
  • ClassName is the name of the class.
  • __init__ must have at least one argument (self), which refers to the object being created. You can think of self as a placeholder for the instance.
  • parameter1, parameter2, etc., are additional parameters that you can pass to __init__ to initialize the object's attributes. These parameters are optional; you include them based on what data the object needs to hold.

Purpose and Usage

The primary purpose of the __init__ method is to set up new objects using data that is provided to it at the time of object creation. This can include setting default values for the object's attributes or performing operations necessary for the object's initial state.

Example

In this example:

  • The Person class has an __init__ method with name and age parameters, used to initialize the name and age attributes of a Person instance.
  • It also has a method introduce_yourself that prints a greeting using the instance's attributes.

To use this class, you would create an instance of Person by providing the required arguments (name and age):

person1 = Person("Alice", 30)
person1.introduce_yourself()  # Output: Hi, my name is Alice and I am 30 years old.

Notes

  • __init__ cannot return a value; it returns None by default.
  • Although __init__ is often referred to as a constructor, the actual construction of the object is done when the object is created (before __init__ is called), and __init__ is there to initialize the object's state.
  • The __init__ method can be overridden by subclasses to extend or modify the initialization process.



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