Are static class variables possible?

Question

Is it possible to have static class variables or methods in python? What syntax is required to do this?

Answer 1

Static Variables in Class factory python3.6

For anyone using a class factory with python3.6 and up use the nonlocal keyword to add it to the scope / context of the class being created like so:

>>> def SomeFactory(some_var=None):
...     class SomeClass(object):
...         nonlocal some_var
...         def print():
...             print(some_var)
...     return SomeClass
... 
>>> SomeFactory(some_var="hello world").print()
hello world

Answer 2

The best way I found is to use another class. You can create an object and then use it on other objects.

class staticFlag:
    def __init__(self):
        self.__success = False
    def isSuccess(self):
        return self.__success
    def succeed(self):
        self.__success = True

class tryIt:
    def __init__(self, staticFlag):
        self.isSuccess = staticFlag.isSuccess
        self.succeed = staticFlag.succeed

tryArr = []
flag = staticFlag()
for i in range(10):
    tryArr.append(tryIt(flag))
    if i == 5:
        tryArr[i].succeed()
    print tryArr[i].isSuccess()

With the example above, I made a class named staticFlag.

This class should present the static var __success (Private Static Var).

tryIt class represented the regular class we need to use.

Now I made an object for one flag (staticFlag). This flag will be sent as reference to all the regular objects.

All these objects are being added to the list tryArr.

---

This Script Results:

False
False
False
False
False
True
True
True
True
True

Answer 3

You can also add class variables to classes on the fly

>>> class X:
...     pass
... 
>>> X.bar = 0
>>> x = X()
>>> x.bar
0
>>> x.foo
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in <module>
AttributeError: X instance has no attribute 'foo'
>>> X.foo = 1
>>> x.foo
1

And class instances can change class variables

class X:
  l = []
  def __init__(self):
    self.l.append(1)

print X().l
print X().l

>python test.py
[1]
[1, 1]

Answer 4

One special thing to note about static properties & instance properties, shown in the example below:

class my_cls:
  my_prop = 0

#static property
print my_cls.my_prop  #--> 0

#assign value to static property
my_cls.my_prop = 1 
print my_cls.my_prop  #--> 1

#access static property thru' instance
my_inst = my_cls()
print my_inst.my_prop #--> 1

#instance property is different from static property 
#after being assigned a value
my_inst.my_prop = 2
print my_cls.my_prop  #--> 1
print my_inst.my_prop #--> 2

This means before assigning the value to instance property, if we try to access the property thru' instance, the static value is used. Each property declared in python class always has a static slot in memory.

Answer 5

Yes, definitely possible to write static variables and methods in python.

Static Variables : Variable declared at class level are called static variable which can be accessed directly using class name.

    >>> class A:
        ...my_var = "shagun"

    >>> print(A.my_var)
        shagun

Instance variables: Variables that are related and accessed by instance of a class are instance variables.

   >>> a = A()
   >>> a.my_var = "pruthi"
   >>> print(A.my_var,a.my_var)
       shagun pruthi

Static Methods: Similar to variables, static methods can be accessed directly using class Name. No need to create an instance.

But keep in mind, a static method cannot call a non-static method in python.

    >>> class A:
   ...     @staticmethod
   ...     def my_static_method():
   ...             print("Yippey!!")
   ... 
   >>> A.my_static_method()
   Yippey!!

Answer 6

Variables declared inside the class definition, but not inside a method are class or static variables:

>>> class MyClass:
...     i = 3
...
>>> MyClass.i
3 

As @millerdev points out, this creates a class-level i variable, but this is distinct from any instance-level i variable, so you could have

>>> m = MyClass()
>>> m.i = 4
>>> MyClass.i, m.i
>>> (3, 4)

This is different from C++ and Java, but not so different from C#, where a static member can't be accessed using a reference to an instance.

See what the Python tutorial has to say on the subject of classes and class objects.

@Steve Johnson has already answered regarding static methods, also documented under "Built-in Functions" in the Python Library Reference.

class C:
    @staticmethod
    def f(arg1, arg2, ...): ...

@beidy recommends classmethods over staticmethod, as the method then receives the class type as the first argument, but I'm still a little fuzzy on the advantages of this approach over staticmethod. If you are too, then it probably doesn't matter.