Python: Can a class forbid clients setting new attributes?

Question

I just spent too long on a bug like the following:

>>> class Odp():
    def __init__(self):
        self.foo = \"bar\"


>>> o = Odp()
>         


        

Answer 1

You can implement a __setattr__ method for the purpose -- that's much more robust than the __slots__ which is often misused for the purpose (for example, __slots__ is automatically "lost" when the class is inherited from, while __setattr__ survives unless explicitly overridden).

def __setattr__(self, name, value):
  if hasattr(self, name):
    object.__setattr__(self, name, value)
  else:
    raise TypeError('Cannot set name %r on object of type %s' % (
                    name, self.__class__.__name__))

You'll have to make sure the hasattr succeeds for the names you do want to be able to set, for example by setting the attributes at a class level or by using object.__setattr__ in your __init__ method rather than direct attribute assignment. (To forbid setting attributes on a class rather than its instances you'll have to define a custom metaclass with a similar special method).