Python Programming

let’s see how descriptors are useful in python programming for start-ups

A descriptor is a structure containing information that describes data. Data descriptors may be used in compilers, as a software structure at run time in languages. Descriptors are Python programming that implements a method of the descriptor protocol, which gives you the ability to create objects that have special behavior when they’re accessed as attributes of other objects. Descriptors increase an understanding of python and improve coding skills.

Descriptors are a specific Python feature that powers a lot of the magic hidden under the language’s hood. Descriptors are a powerful, general-purpose protocol. They are the mechanism behind properties, methods, static methods, class methods, and super. They are used throughout Python itself. Descriptors simplify the underlying C code and offer a flexible set of new tools for everyday Python programs. It has three different methods that are __getters__(), __setters__(), and __delete__().

How to use python descriptors in your startups:

If you want to use Python descriptors in your python programming, then you just need to implement the descriptor protocol. Because Python doesn’t have the concept of a private variable so, descriptor protocol can be considered a Pythonic way to achieve something similar. The most important methods of this protocol are .__get__() and .__set__().

When you implement the protocol, keep these things in mind:

  • self is the instance of the descriptor you’re writing.
  • obj is the instance of the object your descriptor is attached to.
  • type is the type of object the descriptor is attached to.
  • Descriptors are invoked by the __getattribute__() method.
  • Overriding __getattribute__() prevents automatic descriptor calls.
  • object.__getattribute__() and type.__getattribute__() make different calls to __get__().
  • Data descriptors always override instance dictionaries.
  • Non-data descriptors may be overridden by instance dictionaries.

The most important thing to know is that Python descriptors are instantiated just once per class. So, every single instance of a class containing a descriptor shares that descriptor instance.

Benefits of descriptors in python programming:

Python descriptors are created to manage the attributes of different classes which use the object as a reference.  Python descriptor while avoiding some common pitfalls. Generally, Python developers have never used this feature before because there are not many use cases where Python descriptors are necessary. It is just an academic topic for them.

But the reality is descriptors provide a solution that helps us separate concerns within our class, so our code remains nice and SOLID. By using a descriptor instead of a property. And now we have a more flexible descriptor regarding the lower and upper boundaries, maybe we also want to raise different exceptions. This is done by also adding the exceptions to the parameters list of the __init__ method.

And now the “IsBetween” descriptor can be used for many different use cases in the future, like battery charge, age attributes, temperatures, etc. And that’s how you create and use descriptors to clean up your classes. Descriptors are useful when you have a common behavior that has to be shared among a lot of properties, even ones of different classes.