Quenton Bonds wrote:
> Hello
> I am trying to understand the abilities and limitation of creating an
> instance. First I will give you my understanding then please steer me
> in the right direction.
>
Wow, you've got it nearly completely comprehensively backwards.
> Abiities
> 1. The two ways to create an instance is def method(self) &
> __int__(self, other, instances,...)
There's really just basically one way to create an instance, and that's
by writing a class and then "calling" it. (example below)
if you use the def statement by itself, then you are creating a
FUNCTION object, that you later call with arguments to do some work.
When you create a class, it looks like this:
class foo:
def __init__(self, arg1, arg2):
# do some work to set up the instance of the class.
and then you "call" the class like so:
bar = foo(arg1, arg2)
to create an INSTANCE of the CLASS. the name 'bar' now references an
instance of class 'foo'.
(also note that when the def statement is used within a class, like the
__init__ above, then it creates a METHOD, which is almost the same
thing as a FUNCTION.)
> 2. By creating an instance of a method; the functions of that method
> can be used through out the
> program in a fashion such as self.methodofprogram(parameters)
Ok, I think the easiest thing to do here would be to rewrite your
sentence using the proper terminology:
By creating an instance of a CLASS, the METHODS of that CLASS can be
used through out the program in a fashion such as
INSTANCE.methodofCLASS(parameters)
Example of creating a class with a method:
class foo:
def __init__(self, arg1):
# do some work to set up the instance of the class.
self.value = arg1
def printme(self):
print self.value
Example of creating an instance of that class:
bar = foo('Hi there!')
Example of using a method of an instance of that class:
bar.printme()
# Prints "Hi there!"
> Limitations
> 3. One cannot create an instance of a class.
:) One can ONLY create instances of classes.
> 4. An instance can only perform functions that are provided from the
> method it was instanced from.
Yes, *IF* you replace "method" in that sentence with "class", and
"functions" with "methods".
> 5. Is there any other key information I am missing.
I hope this helps,
~Simon
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