Killin' Newbie question

[Ken Seehof]

Gregoire Welraeds wrote:

> I can't access the __init__ method outside of the object, so the
> following is disallowed :
> ----
> class huh():
>         def __init(self):
>                 [some initialisation]
>
> ough= huh()
>
> [some code]
>
> ough.__init__()
> ----
>
> Right ?
> The following should be allowed ?
>
> class huh():
>         def __init__(self):
>                 [some initialisation]
>
>         def ReInit(self):
>                 self.__init__()
>
> ough= huh()
> [some code]
> ough.ReInit()
>
> Do I have to rewrite the __init__ function in the ReInit() or the call to
> the init() function inside the ReInit is enough ?
> Isn't there a better way to do this kind of job, i mean in a OOP point of
> view.

Since the previous reply answers your first question, I'll talk aboutprogramming
style.  I would tend to write a ReInit function since
__init__ really means "called when you create the object".  However,
there is nothing illegal about calling __init__ directly.

class huh:
    def __init__(self):
        # some one-time initialization code
        print "spammity"
        self.ReInit()

    def ReInit(self):
        # some code
        print "spam"

>>> h = huh()
spammity
spam
>>> h.ReInit()
spam

The only time __init__ is usually called is from a derived object:

class what(huh):
    def __init__(self):
        huh.__init__(self)
        # more initialization for what

> Other little question, what about the following (regarding another remark
> posted before) :
>
> def __init__(this):

Legal, but don't do that.  People will think you are a C programmer :-) Ack!

> --
> Life is not fair
> But the root password helps
> --
>
> Gregoire Welraeds
> greg at perceval.be
> Perceval Development team
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Perceval Technologies sa/nv     Tel: +32-2-6409194
> Rue Tenbosch, 9                 Fax: +32-2-6403154
> B-1000 Brussels                 general information:   info at perceval.net
> BELGIUM                         technical information: helpdesk at perceval.net
> URL: http://www.perceval.be/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------