Data Classes in Python | Set 5 (post-init)

Prerequisite: Data Classes in Python | Set 4 In this post, we will discuss how to modify values of some attributes during object creation without coding it in __init__() by using post-init processing. __post_init__(): This function when made, is called by in-built __init__() after initialization of all the attributes of DataClass. Basically, object creation of DataClass starts with __init__() (constructor-calling) and ends with __post__init__() (post-init processing).
Use - This feature is very handy at times when certain attributes are dependent on the parameters passed in the __init__() but do not get their values directly from them. That is, they get their values after performing some operation on a subset of arguments received in the constructor.
Continuing the same example we've been seeing in this series of articles, suppose there is an attribute called author_name which gets its value from the profile handle to name mapping in the defined dictionary name. So author_name is dependent on profile handle which author attribute receives, so using __post_init__() should be an ideal choice this case. Python3

from dataclasses import dataclass, field

name = {'vibhu4agarwal': 'Vibhu Agarwal'}


@dataclass
class GfgArticle:

    title : str
    language: str
    author: str
    author_name: str = field(init = False)
    upvotes: int = 0

    def __post_init__(self):
        self.author_name = name[self.author]


dClassObj = GfgArticle("DataClass", "Python3", "vibhu4agarwal")
print(dClassObj)

Output:

GfgArticle(title='DataClass', language='Python3', author='vibhu4agarwal', author_name='Vibhu Agarwal', upvotes=0)

Can default_factory be an alternative? No, because default_factory accepts zero argument function or callable, so it can't receive any arguments and return a value after performing some operations on them.