Using a method in a same class (Python)

Question

class UnigramDist:
    def __init__(self, corpus):
        self.counts = defaultdict(float)
        self.total = 0.0
        self.train(corpus)

    # Get number of unique words (type)
    def getType(self, corpus):
        unique = []
        for sen in corpus:
            for word in sen:
                if(word not in unique):
                    unique.append(word)

        return len(unique)

    def probWithLapalce(self, word):
        V = self.getType(corpus)
        word = word.strip()
        probVal = (self.counts[word] + 1) / (self.total + V)
        return math.log(probVal)
    #enddef

I am creating a class called UnigramDist that contains some methods that compute the probability of a unigram model, and I am trying to use the getType method in my probWithLaplace method in the same class.

But when I use this class in my test, it gives me a message that says:

    V = self.getType(corpus)

NameError: name 'corpus' is not defined

I don't get it since all other functions are using corpus just fine.

Why would you imagine corpus is defined where you are calling getType, i.e. in probWithLapalce. I don't see it defined anywhere. — juanpa.arrivillaga
– juanpa.arrivillaga, Commented Sep 28, 2017 at 22:58

user2390182 · Accepted Answer · 2017-09-28 23:22:41Z

2

In the other methods, corpus is passed as a method parameter

def getType(self, corpus):
#                 ^^^^^^--- method parameter

and is therefore defined as a local variable. In your probWithLaplace method, however, corpus is neither passed as an argument, defined locally (inside the method body) nor globally (at module level) before you use it:

# no global (module level) variable corpus ...

def probWithLaplace(self, word):  # ... and no corpus here ...
    # ... or here
    V = self.getType(corpus)  # hence, corpus is not defined here

edited Sep 28, 2017 at 23:22

answered Sep 28, 2017 at 22:58

user2390182

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Comments

Jon Kiparsky · Accepted Answer · 2017-09-28 22:58:41Z

2

Your other functions are getting corpus as a parameter, so it's a local variable in those functions.

You could set self.corpus = corpus in your __init__ function, which would then make self.corpus available to all of that class's functions. (as long as they know about self - that is, as long as they're instance methods)

answered Sep 28, 2017 at 22:58

Jon Kiparsky

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