PYTHON: AttributeError - calling function in a member function of a class

Question

I'm having trouble with classes in Python 2.7:

First, I really do not know how to use the __init__ properly, so I have just used a dummy call to print. What should I do instead?

Second, I would like the member function readAnyFormat to call a few functions (later I will create a kind of case statement). My attempt produced an AttributeError. How do I do this correctly?

My class is as follows:

class ArangeData:

        def __init__(
                    self):

            print ' '

        def readAnyFormat(
                    self,
                    config = True,
                    mypath='text.txt',
                    data_format='ASCII',
                    data_shape='shaped'):

            #Here the function should be called:'
            #NOT WORKING: 
            #AttributeError: ArangeData instance has no attribute 'readASCII'
            if data_format=='HDF5':
                readHDF5()
            elif data_format=='ASCII':
                readASCII()


            def readASCII():
                'doing stuff in here'

            def readHDF5():
                'doing other stuff in here, which is not the business of readASCII'

        def otherMemberFunction(self):
            'do not care what they are doing above!'

Please read the Python Style Guide (PEP8). It's very good and will make your code much easier to read. You'll thank me later! — Two-Bit Alchemist
– Two-Bit Alchemist, Commented Aug 6, 2015 at 20:23

DeepSpace · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-06 20:04:53Z

2

You should move the definition of readASCII and readHDF5 so they are above the two if statements.
You don't need to have the dummy print statement in __init__. If you have nothing to initialize you can simply use pass, or better yet as @chepner commented don't even define __init__.

edited Aug 6, 2015 at 20:04

answered Aug 6, 2015 at 19:59

DeepSpace

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2 Comments

chepner Over a year ago

In general, it's probably better to just not define __init__ at all; this lets the parent class's __init__ be used if you have nothing to add.

Two-Bit Alchemist Over a year ago

Also since this is Python 2.7 OP is (probably inadvertently) using old-style classes.

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