Using __getattr__ to Validate

As we’ve seen, the __getattr__ method intercepts all undefined attributes, so it can be more generic than using properties or descriptors. For our example, we simply test the attribute name to know when a managed attribute is being fetched; others are stored physically on the instance and so never reach __getattr__. Although this approach is more general than using properties or descriptors, extra work may be required to imitate the specific-attribute focus of other tools. We need to check names at runtime, and we must code a __setattr__ in order to intercept and validate attribute assignments.

As for the property and descriptor versions of this example, it’s critical to notice that the attribute assignments inside the __init__ constructor method trigger the class’s __setattr__ method too. When this method assigns to self.name, for example, it automatically invokes the __setattr__ method, which transforms the value and assigns it to an instance attribute called name. By storing name on the instance, it ensures that future accesses will not trigger __getattr__. In contrast, acct is stored as _acct, so that later accesses to acct do invoke __getattr__.

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In the end, this class, like the prior two, manages attributes called name, age, and acct; allows the attribute addr to be accessed directly; and provides a read-only attribute called remain that is entirely virtual and is computed on demand.

For comparison purposes, this alternative comes in at 32 lines of code—7 fewer than the property-based version, and 13 fewer than the version using descriptors. Clarity matters more than code size, of course, but extra code can sometimes imply extra development and maintenance work. Probably more important here are roles: generic tools like __getattr__ may be better suited to generic delegation, while properties and descriptors are more directly designed to manage specific attributes.

Also note that the code here incurs extra calls when setting unmanaged attributes (e.g., addr), although no extra calls are incurred for fetching unmanaged attributes, since they are defined. Though this will likely result in negligible overhead for most programs, properties and descriptors incur an extra call only when managed attributes are accessed.

Here’s the __getattr__ version of our code:

class CardHolder:
    acctlen = 8                                  # Class data
    retireage = 59.5

    def __init__(self, acct, name, age, addr):
        self.acct = acct                         # Instance data
        self.name = name                         # These trigger __setattr__ too
        self.age  = age                          # _acct not mangled: name tested
        self.addr = addr                         # addr is not managed
                                                 # remain has no data
    def __getattr__(self, name):
        if name == 'acct':                           # On undefined attr fetches
            return self._acct[:-3] + '***'           # name, age, addr are defined
        elif name == 'remain':
            return self.retireage - self.age         # Doesn't trigger __getattr__
        else:
            raise AttributeError(name)

    def __setattr__(self, name, value):
        if name == 'name':                           # On all attr assignments
            value = value.lower().replace(' ', '_')  # addr stored directly
        elif name == 'age':                          # acct mangled to _acct
            if value < 0 or value > 150:
                raise ValueError('invalid age')
        elif name == 'acct':
            name  = '_acct'
            value = value.replace('-', '')
            if len(value) != self.acctlen:
                raise TypeError('invald acct number')
        elif name == 'remain':
            raise TypeError('cannot set remain')
        self.__dict__[name] = value                  # Avoid looping