A Comprehensive Introduction to Python Programming and ... - MSDL

1.2 Language Features 15 / 75
The inheritance list argument is optional. It must be included in brackets
if present. It can contain one or more class names, separated by commas. It will most
often contain only one class name: the base class of the current class, ie the class that
it inherits from.
Python supports multiple inheritance in the form of mixin classes. These classes
inherit from multiple base classes (ie the inheritance list contains more than
one class. Python uses a depth-first search, left-to-right strategy to find attributes in
multiple inheritance cases. Whenever a list of base classes is specified, the leftmost
class will be searched first for a specific attribute, followed by all of its base classes.
If nothing is found in these classes, then the second base class will be searched in the
same way, and so on.
Python has no access specifier (like private, public or protected in Java). By default,
all methods declared within a class are public. Simulating private methods is still
possible by using the same name mangling feature as it was done for variables (see
section 1.2.2.1 on page 5). This is done by preceding the method name by two or more
underscores.
Inside a class, the self keyword refers to the current instance of this class.
1.2.7.1 Special function names
Python defines some special function names that have a predefined meaning. These reserved
names all have the form special name , so as to minimize the possibility
of name conflicts. The following table lists the most common ones and describes their
meaning.