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Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:08:20 -0700
From: Demian Brecht <demianbrecht@gmail.com>
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To: python-list@python.org
Subject: Re: Private methods
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Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:31023

On 12-10-09 06:59 AM, D.M. Procida wrote:
> In Python, using an underscore is simply a convention to note that a
> method is private - it doesn't actually hide it from other things -
> correct?
>
> Daniele
>

A single underscore semantically means private. A double underscore will 
name mangle the function such that it's only accessible strictly by name 
through the class that it's define in. Note that you *can* still access 
it if you understand how name mangling works. Nothing in Python is truly 
private.

-- 
Demian Brecht
@demianbrecht
http://demianbrecht.github.com