Python: How do I make a subclass from a superclass?

Question

In Python, how do you make a subclass from a superclass?

Answer 1

In the answers above, the super is initialized without any (keyword) arguments. Often, however, you would like to do that, as well as pass on some 'custom' arguments of your own. Here is an example which illustrates this use case:

class SortedList(list):
    def __init__(self, *args, reverse=False, **kwargs):
        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)       # Initialize the super class
        self.reverse = reverse
        self.sort(reverse=self.reverse)         # Do additional things with the custom keyword arguments

This is a subclass of list which, when initialized, immediately sorts itself in the direction specified by the reverse keyword argument, as the following tests illustrate:

import pytest

def test_1():
    assert SortedList([5, 2, 3]) == [2, 3, 5]

def test_2():
    SortedList([5, 2, 3], reverse=True) == [5, 3, 2]

def test_3():
    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
        sorted_list = SortedList([5, 2, 3], True)   # This doesn't work because 'reverse' must be passed as a keyword argument

if __name__ == "__main__":
    pytest.main([__file__])

Thanks to the passing on of *args to super, the list can be initialized and populated with items instead of only being empty. (Note that reverse is a keyword-only argument in accordance with PEP 3102).

Answer 2

class Subclass (SuperClass):
      # Subclass stuff here

Answer 3

class MySubClass(MySuperClass):
    def __init__(self):
        MySuperClass.__init__(self)

        # <the rest of your custom initialization code goes here>

The section on inheritance in the python documentation explains it in more detail

Answer 4

class Mammal(object): 
#mammal stuff

class Dog(Mammal): 
#doggie stuff

Answer 5

Subclassing in Python is done as follows:

class WindowElement:
    def print(self):
        pass

class Button(WindowElement):
    def print(self):
        pass

Here is a tutorial about Python that also contains classes and subclasses.

Answer 6

class BankAccount:

  def __init__(self, balance=0):
    self.balance = int(balance)

  def checkBalance(self): ## Checking opening balance....
    return self.balance

  def deposit(self, deposit_amount=1000): ## takes in cash deposit amount and updates the balance accordingly.
    self.deposit_amount = deposit_amount
    self.balance += deposit_amount
    return self.balance

  def withdraw(self, withdraw_amount=500): ## takes in cash withdrawal amount and updates the balance accordingly
    if self.balance < withdraw_amount: ## if amount is greater than balance return `"invalid transaction"`
        return 'invalid transaction'
    else:
      self.balance -= withdraw_amount
      return self.balance


class MinimumBalanceAccount(BankAccount): #subclass MinimumBalanceAccount of the BankAccount class

    def __init__(self,balance=0, minimum_balance=500):
        BankAccount.__init__(self, balance=0)
        self.minimum_balance = minimum_balance
        self.balance = balance - minimum_balance
        #print "Subclass MinimumBalanceAccount of the BankAccount class created!"

    def MinimumBalance(self):
        return self.minimum_balance

c = BankAccount()
print(c.deposit(50))
print(c.withdraw(10))

b = MinimumBalanceAccount(100, 50)
print(b.deposit(50))
print(b.withdraw(10))
print(b.MinimumBalance())