Calling a class function inside of __init__

Question

I\'m writing some code that takes a filename, opens the file, and parses out some data. I\'d like to do this in a class. The following code works:

class MyCl         


        

Answer 1

If I'm not wrong, both functions are part of your class, you should use it like this:

class MyClass():
    def __init__(self, filename):
        self.filename = filename 

        self.stat1 = None
        self.stat2 = None
        self.stat3 = None
        self.stat4 = None
        self.stat5 = None
        self.parse_file()

    def parse_file(self):
        #do some parsing
        self.stat1 = result_from_parse1
        self.stat2 = result_from_parse2
        self.stat3 = result_from_parse3
        self.stat4 = result_from_parse4
        self.stat5 = result_from_parse5

replace your line:

parse_file() 

with:

self.parse_file()

Answer 2

You must declare parse_file like this; def parse_file(self). The "self" parameter is a hidden parameter in most languages, but not in python. You must add it to the definition of all that methods that belong to a class. Then you can call the function from any method inside the class using self.parse_file

your final program is going to look like this:

class MyClass():
  def __init__(self, filename):
      self.filename = filename 

      self.stat1 = None
      self.stat2 = None
      self.stat3 = None
      self.stat4 = None
      self.stat5 = None
      self.parse_file()

  def parse_file(self):
      #do some parsing
      self.stat1 = result_from_parse1
      self.stat2 = result_from_parse2
      self.stat3 = result_from_parse3
      self.stat4 = result_from_parse4
      self.stat5 = result_from_parse5

Answer 3

Call the function in this way:

self.parse_file()

You also need to define your parse_file() function like this:

def parse_file(self):

The parse_file method has to be bound to an object upon calling it (because it's not a static method). This is done by calling the function on an instance of the object, in your case the instance is self.

Answer 4

How about:

class MyClass(object):
    def __init__(self, filename):
        self.filename = filename 
        self.stats = parse_file(filename)

def parse_file(filename):
    #do some parsing
    return results_from_parse

By the way, if you have variables named stat1, stat2, etc., the situation is begging for a tuple: stats = (...).

So let parse_file return a tuple, and store the tuple in self.stats.

Then, for example, you can access what used to be called stat3 with self.stats[2].

Answer 5

I think that your problem is actually with not correctly indenting init function.It should be like this

class MyClass():
     def __init__(self, filename):
          pass

     def parse_file():
          pass

Answer 6

In parse_file, take the self argument (just like in __init__). If there's any other context you need then just pass it as additional arguments as usual.