6.1. Decorator About

  • Since Python 2.4: PEP 318 -- Decorators for Functions and Methods

  • Decorator is an object, which takes another object as it's argument

  • Allows to do things before call

  • Allows to do things after call

  • Allows to modify arguments

  • Allows to modify returned value

  • Allows to avoid calling

  • Allows to modify globals

  • Allows to add or change metadata

6.1.1. Syntax

  • func is a reference to function which is being decorated

  • args arbitrary number of positional arguments

  • kwargs arbitrary number of keyword arguments

  • By calling func(*args, **kwargs) you actually run original (wrapped) function with it's original arguments

>>> def mydecorator(func):
...     def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
...         return func(*args, **kwargs)
...     return wrapper
>>>
>>>
>>> @mydecorator
... def myfunction(*args, **kwargs):
...     pass
>>>
>>>
>>> myfunction()

6.1.2. Names

>>> def mydecorator(func):
...     def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
...         return func(*args, **kwargs)
...     return wrapper

>>> def mydecorator(fn):
...     def wrap(*a, **b):
...         return fn(*a, **b)
...     return wrap

>>> def mydecorator(fn):
...     def _(*a, **b):
...         return fn(*a, **b)
...     return _

>>> def mydecorator(fn):
...     return lambda *a, **kw: fn(*a, **kw)

6.1.3. Types of decorators

By type:

  • Function decorators

  • Class decorators

By decorated object:

  • Decorating function

  • Decorating class

  • Decorating method

By wrapper type:

  • Wrapper function

  • Wrapper class

  • Wrapper method

By number of arguments:

  • Without arguments

  • With arguments

6.1.4. Decorator Types

  • Function decorators

  • Class decorators

  • In this example:

    • obj is a decorated object

    • doesn't matter, whether is a function, class or method

>>> def mydecorator(obj):
...     ...

>>> class MyDecorator:
...     def __init__(self, obj):
...         ...

6.1.5. Wrapper Type

  • Wrapper function

  • Wrapper class

  • Wrapper method

  • In this example:

    • obj is a decorated object

    • doesn't matter, whether is a function, class or method

  • If obj and Wrapper are classes, Wrapper can inherit from obj (to extend it)

>>> def mydecorator(obj):
...     def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
...         ...
...     return wrapper

>>> def mydecorator(obj):
...     class Wrapper:
...         def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
...             ...
...     return Wrapper

>>> class MyDecorator:
...     def __init__(self, obj):
...         ...
...
...     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
...         ...

6.1.6. Decorated Object

  • Decorating function (by convention func or fn)

  • Decorating class (by convention cls)

  • Decorating method (by convention mth, meth or method)

>>> def mydecorator(func):
...     ...

>>> def mydecorator(cls):
...     ...

>>> def mydecorator(mth):
...     ...

>>> class MyDecorator:
...     def __init__(self, func):
...         ...

>>> class MyDecorator:
...     def __init__(self, cls):
...         ...

>>> class MyDecorator:
...     def __init__(self, mth):
...         ...

6.1.7. Usage

>>> @mydecorator
... def myfunction(*args, **kwargs):
...     ...

>>> class MyClass:
...     @mydecorator
...     def mymethod(self, *args, **kwargs):
...         ...

>>> @mydecorator
... class MyClass:
...     ...

>>> @MyDecorator
... def myfunction(*args, **kwargs):
...     ...

>>> class MyClass:
...     @MyDecorator
...     def mymethod(self, *args, **kwargs):
...         ...

>>> @MyDecorator
... class MyClass:
...     ...

6.1.8. Arguments

  • Without arguments

  • With arguments

>>> @mydecorator
... def myfunction(*args, **kwargs):
...     ...

>>> @MyDecorator
... def myfunction(*args, **kwargs):
...     ...

>>> @mydecorator('arg1', 'arg2')  
... def myfunction(*args, **kwargs):
...     ...

>>> @MyClass('arg1', 'arg2')  
... def myfunction(*args, **kwargs):
...     ...