Where is the Python documentation for the special methods? (__init__, __new__, __len__, …)

Question

Where is a complete list of the special double-underscore/dunder methods that can be used in classes? (e.g., __init__, __new__, __len__

Answer 1

Python's double underscore ("dunder") methods are also known as datamodel methods because they are at the core of Python's data model, providing a protocol for customizing (overloading) built-in methods. This is the reason why they are listed in the "Data Model" section of the Python's documentation.

Answer 2

Here is a complete reference of all the Python magic methods.

Answer 3

Do this if you prefer reading documentation from a CLI instead of the browser.

$ pydoc SPECIALMETHODS

Answer 4

For somebody who is relatively new to Python, and for whom the documentation is often not quite accessible enough (like myself): somebody wrote a nice introduction with lots of examples on how the special (magic) methods work, how to use them, etc.

Answer 5

Familiarize yourself with the dir function.

Answer 6

Dive Into Python has an excellent appendix for them.