Static methods in Python?

Question

Is it possible to have static methods in Python which I could call without initializing a class, like:

ClassName.static_method()

Answer 1

Aside from the particularities of how static method objects behave, there is a certain kind of beauty you can strike with them when it comes to organizing your module-level code.

# garden.py
def trim(a):
    pass

def strip(a):
    pass

def bunch(a, b):
    pass

def _foo(foo):
    pass

class powertools(object):
    """
    Provides much regarded gardening power tools.
    """
    @staticmethod
    def answer_to_the_ultimate_question_of_life_the_universe_and_everything():
        return 42

    @staticmethod
    def random():
        return 13

    @staticmethod
    def promise():
        return True

def _bar(baz, quux):
    pass

class _Dice(object):
    pass

class _6d(_Dice):
    pass

class _12d(_Dice):
    pass

class _Smarter:
    pass

class _MagicalPonies:
    pass

class _Samurai:
    pass

class Foo(_6d, _Samurai):
    pass

class Bar(_12d, _Smarter, _MagicalPonies):
    pass

...

# tests.py
import unittest
import garden

class GardenTests(unittest.TestCase):
    pass

class PowertoolsTests(unittest.TestCase):
    pass

class FooTests(unittest.TestCase):
    pass

class BarTests(unittest.TestCase):
    pass

...

# interactive.py
from garden import trim, bunch, Foo

f = trim(Foo())
bunch(f, Foo())

...

# my_garden.py
import garden
from garden import powertools

class _Cowboy(garden._Samurai):
    def hit():
        return powertools.promise() and powertools.random() or 0

class Foo(_Cowboy, garden.Foo):
    pass

It now becomes a bit more intuitive and self-documenting in which context certain components are meant to be used and it pans out ideally for naming distinct test cases as well as having a straightforward approach to how test modules map to actual modules under tests for purists.

I frequently find it viable to apply this approach to organizing a project's utility code. Quite often, people immediately rush and create a utils package and end up with 9 modules of which one has 120 LOC and the rest are two dozen LOC at best. I prefer to start with this and convert it to a package and create modules only for the beasts that truly deserve them:

# utils.py
class socket(object):
    @staticmethod
    def check_if_port_available(port):
        pass

    @staticmethod
    def get_free_port(port)
        pass

class image(object):
    @staticmethod
    def to_rgb(image):
        pass

    @staticmethod
    def to_cmyk(image):
        pass