Python Descriptors

This short book on Python descriptors is a collection of knowledge and ideas from many sources on dealing with and creating descriptors. And, after going through the things all descriptors have in common, the author explores ideas that have multiple ways of being implemented as well as completely new ideas never seen elsewhere before. There aren't many good resources out there for writing Python descriptors, and extremely few books. This is a sad state of affairs, as it makes it difficult for Python developers to get a really good understanding of how descriptors work and the techniques to avoid the big gotchas associated with working with them. This truly is a comprehensive guide to creating Python descriptors. As a BONUS: A pip install-able library, descriptor\_tools, was written alongside this book and is an open source library on GitHub. What you'll learn: What is a descriptor protocol What is attribute access and how they apply to descriptors How to make descriptors and why Which Methods are needed How to store attributes How to do Read-Only Descriptors and Writing \_delete() How to explore the descriptor classes How to apply the other uses of descriptors and more Who is this book for: This book is for experienced Python coders, programmers and developers. This short book on Python descriptors is a collection of knowledge and ideas from many sources on dealing with and creating descriptors. And, after going through the things all descriptors have in common, the author explores ideas that have multiple ways of being implemented as well as completely new ideas never seen elsewhere before. This truly is a comprehensive guide to creating Python descriptors. As a bonus: A pip install-able library, descriptor_tools, was written alongside this book and is an open source library on GitHub. There aren't many good resources out there for writing Python descriptors, and extremely few books. This is a sad state of affairs, as it makes it difficult for Python developers to get a really good understanding of how descriptors work and the techniques to avoid the big gotchas associated with working with them. What You Will Learn Discover descriptor protocols Master attribute access and how it applies to descriptors Make descriptors and discover why you should Store attributes Create read-only descriptors and _delete() Explore the descriptor classes Apply the other uses of descriptors and more Who This Book Is For Experienced Python coders, programmers and developers. This short book is a collection of knowledge and ideas from many sources on dealing with and creating Python descriptors. And, after going through the things all descriptors have in common, author Jacob Zimmerman explores concepts that have multiple ways of being implemented, as well as completely new ideas never seen elsewhere before. Python Descriptors will give you a good understanding of how descriptors work, and teach you techniques that will enable you to avoid the big gotchas associated with working with them. This truly is a comprehensive guide to creating Python descriptors. As a BONUS: A pip install-able library, descriptor_tools, was written alongside this book and is an open source library on GitHub. What is a descriptor protocol What is attribute access and how they apply to descriptors How to make descriptors and why Which Methods are needed How to store attributes How to do Read-Only Descriptors and Writing _delete() How to explore the descriptor classes How to apply the other uses of descriptors and more Front Matter....Pages i-xv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 What Is a Descriptor?....Pages 3-4 The Descriptor Protocol....Pages 5-6 What Are Descriptors Good For?....Pages 7-8 Descriptors in the Standard Library....Pages 9-13 Attribute Access and Descriptors....Pages 15-21 Front Matter....Pages 23-23 Which Methods Are Needed?....Pages 25-28 Storing the Attributes....Pages 29-40 Read-Only Descriptors....Pages 41-45 Writing __delete__() ....Pages 47-47 Descriptors are Classes Too....Pages 49-51 Reusing the Wheel....Pages 53-57 Other Uses of Descriptors in the World....Pages 59-60 Back Matter....Pages 61-64