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From: Gary Herron <gherron@digipen.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Subject: Re: def __init__(self):
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2016 07:25:28 -0700
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On 04/26/2016 06:49 AM, Random832 wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 26, 2016, at 03:34, Ben Finney wrote:
>> That's needlessly confusing: =E2=80=98__init__=E2=80=99 is not a const=
ructor because it
>> does not construct the instance. The =E2=80=98__new__=E2=80=99 method =
is the constructor
>> for a class (and returns the new instance).
> the __new__ method is the *allocator*. "constructor" is used in many
> languages to name a method that initializes an object once it already
> "exists". Saying you can't call it that in Python is needlessly
> confusing.

Agreed.  For a newbie asking about __init__, I'll stick with my original =

answer (that it's the constructor),  and suggest ignoring the overly=20
pedantic (and confusing) response to the contrary.

--=20
Dr. Gary Herron
Professor of Computer Science
DigiPen Institute of Technology
(425) 895-4418