python call all functions with name patterns or other signature

Question

I'm writing a feature generation class that can be extendable. For example in the following example any method that starts with generate is a feature generation method:

class FeatureGenerator:
    def __init__(self): 
        self.generate_a()
        self.generate_b()
    def method_a(self): pass
    def generate_a(self): do stuffs
    def generate_b(self): do stuffs

I want to execute all methods with generate prefix within init. However, I don't want to add it manually every time I write a new method. One solution could be writing a decorator that will add it to a list and then execute all elements in the list within init. But I am not sure that's a good idea. Is there any pythonic way to do that?

wim · Accepted Answer · 2021-06-30 00:57:44Z

2

Using the dir of the instance:

class FeatureGenerator:
    def __init__(self): 
        for name in dir(self):
            attr = getattr(self, name)
            if callable(attr) and name.startswith("generate"):
                attr()
    def method_a(self): pass
    def generate_a(self): print("gen a")
    def generate_b(self): print("gen b")

answered Jun 30, 2021 at 0:57

wim

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5 Comments

juanpa.arrivillaga Over a year ago

I would manually walk through the MRO.. dir is not meant to be used this way. The docs evens state "supplied primarily as a convenience for use at an interactive prompt, it tries to supply an interesting set of names more than it tries to supply a rigorously or consistently defined set of names". So just for klass in type(self).mro(): for attr, name in vars(klass).items():...

juanpa.arrivillaga Over a year ago

maybe even skip object: for klass in type(self).mro()[:-1]

wim Over a year ago

You probably meant for name, attr in vars(...)

Osman Mamun Over a year ago

Thanks! I experimented with both the answer and both works well for my purpose. To make juanpa.arivillaga's answer complete: for klass in type(self).mro()[:-1]: for name, attr in vars(klass).items(): if name.startswith('generate'): attr(self)

wim Over a year ago

^ Beware that using vars would require special handling for classmethod and staticmethod (dir does not)

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