Special Methods Overview: Python OOP Complete Course — Part 11

Before we start let me tell you that:

• This article is a part of The Complete Course in Object Oriented Programming in Python which you can find it here.
• This article is also available as a YouTube video here.

Introduction

Before I start talking about the special methods and learning objectives of this section, let us try to answer this question: What is the value of “C” in the following expression?

• A = 1
• B = 1
• C = A + B

Simply it is 2 because when we have two variables from the type integer with a plus operator that means we are adding one number to the other.

Now assume you have the following objects from a dummy class:

• Obj1
• Obj2
• C = Obj1 + Obj2

The question now: How do we add one object of a class to another object of the same class? It is weird, right? and if you try to use this syntax in your code, you will get an error because the addition or plus operator is not defined for Python classes by default. So…

Is there a way to define the behavior or the action that should be done when we are using an operator like plus with two objects from a class?

Simply yes there is and we do that by using what we call special methods or dunder methods. Let me tell you that this section will teach you how to use and override these special methods with real scenarios and use cases.

By the end of Special Methods section, you will be able to:

• Understand the meaning of special methods in Python OOP and when you have to use them.
• Be familiar with most types of special methods in Python.
• Be able to override these methods and customize their jobs to fit the problem being solved.

In order to achieve all of these objectives, Special Methods section will cover the following topics:

1. Introduction to the Special Methods
2. Initialization and Construction Special Methods
3. Operators Special Methods
4. Class Representation Special Methods
5. Type Conversion Special Methods
6. Attributes Special Methods
7. Sequences Special Methods
8. Callable Objects Special Method
9. Context Managers Special Methods
10. Section Conclusion: to summarize what you will learn

Finally, stay tuned and be ready because we have a lot of cool stuff to learn in the Special Methods section.

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To get back to the previous article, you can use the following link:

Part 10:OOP Basics Conclusion

To move on to the next article, you can use the following link:

Part 12:Introduction to Special Methods