How do I change the string representation of a Python class?

How to Customize the String Representation of a Python Class 😎🐍

So you want to change the way your Python class is displayed as a string? Just like in Java where you can override the toString() method, Python also provides a way to customize the string representation of your class instances. Let's see how you can do that! 🚀

The Problem 😕

By default, when you try to print an instance of a Python class, like our example PlayCard class, you get a string containing the class name and a memory address, which is not very helpful:

>>> print(c)
<__main__.Card object at 0x01FD5D30>

But what we really want is something more meaningful, like the actual value of the card, such as "A♣". So how can we achieve that?

The Solution 💡

To customize the string representation of a class in Python, you need to define a special method called __str__() in your class. This method should return the desired string representation of the instance. Let's update our PlayCard class to include the __str__() method:

class PlayCard:
    def __init__(self, value, suit):
        self.value = value
        self.suit = suit

    def __str__(self):
        return f"{self.value}{self.suit}"

Now, when you print an instance of PlayCard, it will use the string returned by the __str__() method:

>>> c = PlayCard("A", "♣")
>>> print(c)
A♣

Much better! We've customized the string representation of our class instance. You can now use any logic you want within the __str__() method to format the string representation according to your needs.

Conclusion 🎉

Changing the string representation of a Python class is as easy as defining the __str__() method within your class. This allows you to display a more meaningful representation of your objects when using the print() function or any other string-related operations.

So go ahead and start customizing the string representation of your classes. Impress your friends and colleagues with your Python skills! 😄

Have you ever customized the string representation of a Python class? Share your experiences and any cool tips you have in the comments below! Let's make our Python code look even cooler! 🤓🔥