How to add property to a class dynamically?

Question

The goal is to create a mock class which behaves like a db resultset.

So for example, if a database query returns, using a dict expression, {\'ab\':100, \'cd\'

Answer 1

Not sure if I completely understand the question, but you can modify instance properties at runtime with the built-in __dict__ of your class:

class C(object):
    def __init__(self, ks, vs):
        self.__dict__ = dict(zip(ks, vs))


if __name__ == "__main__":
    ks = ['ab', 'cd']
    vs = [12, 34]
    c = C(ks, vs)
    print(c.ab) # 12

Answer 2

class atdict(dict):
  def __init__(self, value, **kwargs):
    super().__init__(**kwargs)
    self.__dict = value

  def __getattr__(self, name):
    for key in self.__dict:
      if type(self.__dict[key]) is list:
        for idx, item in enumerate(self.__dict[key]):
          if type(item) is dict:
            self.__dict[key][idx] = atdict(item)
      if type(self.__dict[key]) is dict:
        self.__dict[key] = atdict(self.__dict[key])
    return self.__dict[name]



d1 = atdict({'a' : {'b': [{'c': 1}, 2]}})

print(d1.a.b[0].c)

And the output is:

>> 1

Answer 3

You can use the following code to update class attributes using a dictionary object:

class ExampleClass():
    def __init__(self, argv):
        for key, val in argv.items():
            self.__dict__[key] = val

if __name__ == '__main__':
    argv = {'intro': 'Hello World!'}
    instance = ExampleClass(argv)
    print instance.intro

Answer 4

Here is the simple example to create property object programmatically.

#!/usr/bin/python3

class Counter:
    def __init__(self):
        cls = self.__class__
        self._count = 0
        cls.count = self.count_ref()

    def count_get(self):
        print(f'count_get: {self._count}')
        return self._count

    def count_set(self, value):
        self._count = value
        print(f'count_set: {self._count}')

    def count_del(self):
        print(f'count_del: {self._count}')

    def count_ref(self):
        cls = self.__class__
        return property(fget=cls.count_get, fset=cls.count_set, fdel=cls.count_del)

counter = Counter()

counter.count
for i in range(5):
    counter.count = i
del counter.count

'''
output
======
count_get: 0
count_set: 0
count_set: 1
count_set: 2
count_set: 3
count_set: 4
count_del: 4
'''

Answer 5

This is a little different than what OP wanted, but I rattled my brain until I got a working solution, so I'm putting here for the next guy/gal

I needed a way to specify dynamic setters and getters.

class X:
    def __init__(self, a=0, b=0, c=0):
        self.a = a
        self.b = b
        self.c = c

    @classmethod
    def _make_properties(cls, field_name, inc):
        _inc = inc

        def _get_properties(self):
            if not hasattr(self, '_%s_inc' % field_name):
                setattr(self, '_%s_inc' % field_name, _inc)
                inc = _inc
            else:
                inc = getattr(self, '_%s_inc' % field_name)

            return getattr(self, field_name) + inc

        def _set_properties(self, value):
            setattr(self, '_%s_inc' % field_name, value)

        return property(_get_properties, _set_properties)

I know my fields ahead of time so im going to create my properties. NOTE: you cannot do this PER instance, these properties will exist on the class!!!

for inc, field in enumerate(['a', 'b', 'c']):
    setattr(X, '%s_summed' % field, X._make_properties(field, inc))

Let's test it all now..

x = X()
assert x.a == 0
assert x.b == 0
assert x.c == 0

assert x.a_summed == 0  # enumerate() set inc to 0 + 0 = 0
assert x.b_summed == 1  # enumerate() set inc to 1 + 0 = 1
assert x.c_summed == 2  # enumerate() set inc to 2 + 0 = 2

# we set the variables to something
x.a = 1
x.b = 2
x.c = 3

assert x.a_summed == 1  # enumerate() set inc to 0 + 1 = 1
assert x.b_summed == 3  # enumerate() set inc to 1 + 2 = 3
assert x.c_summed == 5  # enumerate() set inc to 2 + 3 = 5

# we're changing the inc now
x.a_summed = 1 
x.b_summed = 3 
x.c_summed = 5

assert x.a_summed == 2  # we set inc to 1 + the property was 1 = 2
assert x.b_summed == 5  # we set inc to 3 + the property was 2 = 5
assert x.c_summed == 8  # we set inc to 5 + the property was 3 = 8

Is it confusing? Yes, sorry I couldn't come up with any meaningful real world examples. Also, this is not for the light hearted.

Answer 6

Extending the idea from kjfletch

# This is my humble contribution, extending the idea to serialize
# data from and to tuples, comparison operations and allowing functions
# as default values.

def Struct(*args, **kwargs):
    FUNCTIONS = (types.BuiltinFunctionType, types.BuiltinMethodType, \
                 types.FunctionType, types.MethodType)
    def init(self, *iargs, **ikwargs):
        """Asume that unamed args are placed in the same order than
        astuple() yields (currently alphabetic order)
        """
        kw = list(self.__slots__)

        # set the unnamed args
        for i in range(len(iargs)):
            k = kw.pop(0)
            setattr(self, k, iargs[i])

        # set the named args
        for k, v in ikwargs.items():
            setattr(self, k, v)
            kw.remove(k)

        # set default values
        for k in kw:
            v = kwargs[k]
            if isinstance(v, FUNCTIONS):
                v = v()
            setattr(self, k, v)

    def astuple(self):
        return tuple([getattr(self, k) for k in self.__slots__])

    def __str__(self):
        data = ['{}={}'.format(k, getattr(self, k)) for k in self.__slots__]
        return '<{}: {}>'.format(self.__class__.__name__, ', '.join(data))

    def __repr__(self):
        return str(self)

    def __eq__(self, other):
        return self.astuple() == other.astuple()

    name = kwargs.pop("__name__", "MyStruct")
    slots = list(args)
    slots.extend(kwargs.keys())
    # set non-specific default values to None
    kwargs.update(dict((k, None) for k in args))

    return type(name, (object,), {
        '__init__': init,
        '__slots__': tuple(slots),
        'astuple': astuple,
        '__str__': __str__,
        '__repr__': __repr__,
        '__eq__': __eq__,
    })


Event = Struct('user', 'cmd', \
               'arg1', 'arg2',  \
               date=time.time, \
               __name__='Event')

aa = Event('pepe', 77)
print(aa)
raw = aa.astuple()

bb = Event(*raw)
print(bb)

if aa == bb:
    print('Are equals')

cc = Event(cmd='foo')
print(cc)

Output:

<Event: user=pepe, cmd=77, arg1=None, arg2=None, date=1550051398.3651814>
<Event: user=pepe, cmd=77, arg1=None, arg2=None, date=1550051398.3651814>
Are equals
<Event: user=None, cmd=foo, arg1=None, arg2=None, date=1550051403.7938335>