How to call a property of the base class if this property is being overwritten in the derived class?

user_60531 0
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I'm changing some classes of mine from an extensive use of getters and setters to a more pythonic use of properties.

But now I'm stuck because some of my previous getters or setters would call the corresponding method of the base class, and then perform something else. But how can this be accomplished with properties? How to call the property getter or setter in the parent class?

Of course just calling the attribute itself gives infinite recursion.

class Foo(object):

    @property
    def bar(self):
        return 5

    @bar.setter
    def bar(self, a):
        print a

class FooBar(Foo):

    @property
    def bar(self):
        # return the same value
        # as in the base class
        return self.bar # --> recursion!

    @bar.setter
    def bar(self, c):
        # perform the same action
        # as in the base class
        self.bar = c    # --> recursion!
        # then do something else
        print 'something else'

fb = FooBar()
fb.bar = 7
descriptor overloading properties inheritance python
7 Answers

You might think you could call the base class function which is called by property:

class FooBar(Foo):

    @property
    def bar(self):
        # return the same value
        # as in the base class
        return Foo.bar(self)

Though this is the most obvious thing to try I think - it does not work because bar is a property, not a callable.

But a property is just an object, with a getter method to find the corresponding attribute:

class FooBar(Foo):

    @property
    def bar(self):
        # return the same value
        # as in the base class
        return Foo.bar.fget(self)
user_114650

super() should do the trick:

return super().bar

In Python 2.x you need to use the more verbose syntax:

return super(FooBar, self).bar
Pankrat_633920

try

@property
def bar:
    return super(FooBar, self).bar

Although I'm not sure if python supports calling the base class property. A property is actually a callable object which is set up with the function specified and then replaces that name in the class. This could easily mean that there is no super function available.

You could always switch your syntax to use the property() function though:

class Foo(object):

    def _getbar(self):
        return 5

    def _setbar(self, a):
        print a

    bar = property(_getbar, _setbar)

class FooBar(Foo):

    def _getbar(self):
        # return the same value
        # as in the base class
        return super(FooBar, self)._getbar()

    def bar(self, c):
        super(FooBar, self)._setbar(c)
        print "Something else"

    bar = property(_getbar, _setbar)

fb = FooBar()
fb.bar = 7
workmad3_160350

Some small improvements to Maxime's answer:

  • Using __class__ to avoid writing B. Note that self.__class__ is the runtime type of self, but __class__ without self is the name of the enclosing class definition. super() is a shorthand for super(__class__, self).
  • Using __set__ instead of fset. The latter is specific to propertys, but the former applies to all property-like objects (descriptors).
class B(A):
    @property
    def prop(self):
        value = super().prop
        # do something with / modify value here
        return value

    @prop.setter
    def prop(self, value):
        # do something with / modify value here
        super(__class__, self.__class__).prop.__set__(self, value)
user_1024410

You can use the following template:

class Parent():
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.__prop1 = value

    #getter
    @property
    def prop1(self):
        return self.__prop1

    #setter
    @prop1.setter
    def prop1(self, value):
        self.__prop1 = value

    #deleter
    @prop1.deleter
    def prop1(self):
        del self.__prop1
  
class Child(Parent):

    #getter
    @property
    def prop1(self):
        return super(Child, Child).prop1.__get__(self)

    #setter
    @prop1.setter
    def prop1(self, value):
        super(Child, Child).prop1.__set__(self, value)

    #deleter
    @prop1.deleter
    def prop1(self):
        super(Child, Child).prop1.__delete__(self)

Note! All of the property methods must be redefined together. If do not want to redefine all methods, use the following template instead:

class Parent():
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.__prop1 = value

    #getter
    @property
    def prop1(self):
        return self.__prop1

    #setter
    @prop1.setter
    def prop1(self, value):
        self.__prop1 = value

    #deleter
    @prop1.deleter
    def prop1(self):
        del self.__prop1


class Child(Parent):

    #getter
    @Parent.prop1.getter
    def prop1(self):
        return super(Child, Child).prop1.__get__(self)

    #setter
    @Parent.prop1.setter
    def prop1(self, value):
        super(Child, Child).prop1.__set__(self, value)

    #deleter
    @Parent.prop1.deleter
    def prop1(self):
        super(Child, Child).prop1.__delete__(self)
user_143945080 
    class Base(object):
      def method(self):
        print "Base method was called"

    class Derived(Base):
      def method(self):
        super(Derived,self).method()
        print "Derived method was called"

    d = Derived()
    d.method()

(that is unless I am missing something from your explanation)

user_962820
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