Python init():

  • In Python, __init__() method within a class is its constructor.Any method or variable that starts with double underscore is by default private.
  • Python defines several standard private methods that have a special meaning, and __init__() is one of them. Some others are __str__(), __repr__(), __add__() and others.

What does def init do in Python ?

  • The __init__ function is known as a constructor, or initializer, and is automatically called when you create a new instance of a class. Within that function, the recently created object is assigned to the parameter “self”. The notation self.legs is an attribute called legs of the object in the variable self.

Sample Code:

class my_class(object):
  def __init(self, x, y):
    self.x = x
    self.y = y
def f2(self):
    return self.x + self.y
 a = my_class(10, 20)
print a.f2()

Output :

30

In the constructor __init__() and method f2(), a initial parameter self is a reference to a object that will later invoke methods at run time. Actually leaving out self parameter in the definition makes it not possible to call it on behalf of the object.

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