Hello pyton programmers in the house. I recently began learning python and i came across a concept that i have failed to grasp:

class. method = method
or better still:
class Dog(object):
def __init__(self, name, breed, sex, age):
self.name = name
self.breed = breed
self.sex = sex
self.age = age
def bark(self):
return "Woof!"

Dog.bark = bark

Why do i have to this "Dog.bark = bark" what does it signify.

Thnks for your help

cristofa:
Hello pyton programmers in the house. I recently began learning python and i came across a concept that i have failed to grasp:

class. method = method
or better still:
class Dog(object):
def __init__(self, name, breed, sex, age):
self.name = name
self.breed = breed
self.sex = sex
self.age = age
def bark(self):
return "Woof!"

Dog.bark = bark

Why do i have to this "Dog.bark = bark" what does it signify.

Thnks for your help

I want to believe Dog.bark = "bark" is what you meant to write.
if it is, then it means you are setting(declaring) a class variable #bark# which will have a value of "bark".
so anytime you reference Dog.bark, you will get the value "bark".

Just to fully clarify
'Class.method() = method' would give a syntax error, as you can't assign to a function call
As omoelu rightfully pointed, the bark in 'Dog.bark' is a class variable not a method.

@omoelu1 Is absolutely correct. Dog.bark = "bark" is a class variable created at runtime. One of the powerful features of python.

seunthomas:
@omoelu1 Is absolutely correct. Dog.bark = "bark" is a class variable created at runtime. One of the powerful features of python.

This doesn't feel powerful at all. Just another way for a developer to shoot himself in the leg.

lordZOUGA:

This doesn't feel powerful at all. Just another way for a developer to shoot himself in the leg.

Well, its very powerful because it allows for flexibility. Most newer scripting languages implemented this after python. And if am right some of the more powerful languages tried too but because of specification wahala they had to halt it. Note java and the other powerful languages are governed by boards that need to approve features into what we regard as the standardized form of the language.