In Python, how do I indicate I'm overriding a method?

Question

In Java, for example, the @Override annotation not only provides compile-time checking of an override but makes for excellent self-documenting code.

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Answer 1

In Python 2.6+ and Python 3.2+ you can do it (Actually simulate it, Python doesn't support function overloading and child class automatically overrides parent's method). We can use Decorators for this. But first, note that Python's @decorators and Java's @Annotations are totally different things. The prior one is a wrapper with concrete code while later one is a flag to compiler.

For this, first do pip install multipledispatch

from multipledispatch import dispatch as Override
# using alias 'Override' just to give you some feel :)

class A:
    def foo(self):
        print('foo in A')

    # More methods here


class B(A):
    @Override()
    def foo(self):
        print('foo in B')
    
    @Override(int)
    def foo(self,a):
        print('foo in B; arg =',a)
        
    @Override(str,float)
    def foo(self,a,b):
        print('foo in B; arg =',(a,b))
        
a=A()
b=B()
a.foo()
b.foo()
b.foo(4)
b.foo('Wheee',3.14)

output:

foo in A
foo in B
foo in B; arg = 4
foo in B; arg = ('Wheee', 3.14)

Note that you must have to use decorator here with parenthesis

One thing to remember is that since Python doesn't have function overloading directly, so even if Class B don't inherit from Class A but needs all those foos than also you need to use @Override (though using alias 'Overload' will look better in that case)