Introduction to the Python programming language

4. Object Orientation

• a mix between C++ and Modula-3
• in Python, a class is a set of program statements which perform a task and are made of both variables and functions
• instances of a class are called objects
• __init__ is the name for the constructor function, i.e.
  

  >>> class Test:
  	def __init__(self):
  		print "Hellooooo, world!"
  >>> test = Test()
  Hellooooo, world!

• __del__ is the name for the destructor function
  

  >>> class Test:
  	def __init__(self):
  		print "just initiated the Test class"
  	def __del__(self):
  		print "just deleted the Test instance"
  
  		
  >>> test = Test()
  just initiated the Test class
  >>> del test
  just deleted the Test instance
  

• "self" is a variable that is a reference to the instance of the class
• inheritance and overloading