Flash cards
Review the key moves
What is the main idea behind Python self Parameter?
Lesson checks
Practice each idea before moving on
Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.
Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?
Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.
The self Parameter
The self parameter is a reference to the current instance of the class.
It is used to access properties and methods that belong to the class.
selfNote
The self parameter must be the first parameter of any method in the class.
Why Use self?
Without self , Python would not know which object's properties you want to access:
selfself Does Not Have to Be Named "self"
It does not have to be named self , you can call it whatever you like, but it has to be the first parameter of any method in the class:
Example
class Person:
def __init__(myobject, name, age):
myobject.name = name
myobject.age = age
def greet(abc):
print("Hello, my name is " + abc.name)
p1 = Person("Emil", 36)
p1.greet()Note
While you can use a different name, it is strongly recommended to use self as it is the convention in Python and makes your code more readable to others.
Accessing Properties with self
You can access any property of the class using self :
selfCalling Methods with self
You can also call other methods within the class using self :
self