Given the code:
class Point:
def __init__(self, x, y):
self.x = x
self.y = y
class Block:
size = 40
def __init__(self, x=1, y=1):
self.pixel_position = Point(x * Block.size, y * Block.size)
self.__block_position = Point(x, y)
@property
def block_position(self):
return self.__block_position
@block_position.setter
def block_position(self, point):
#I want for pixel_position to be updated whenever block position changes
self.pixel_position.x += point.x * size
self.pixel_position.y += point.y * size
self.__block_position = point
Now for such code simple assignment works well
block = Block()
block.block_position = Point(2, 1)
but if I want to increment x of block position... well, code doesn't go into setter.
block.block_position.x -= 1
# now block_position = (1, 1) but pixel_position = (80, 40) not (40, 40)
How may I change it?
I know I can resolve this problem with adding property for __pixel_position that will calculate Block.size * __block_position before returning itself, but that approach doesn't satisfy me - well I want to know how in python one can set a property for a field of a field.
My question is not about finding any solution, but to find a solution where changing field block_position.x will redirect me to my setter/getter.
Since you asked for it, I'm providing an example implementation where properties of an object notify their owner when being set, for it to synchronize with another object. I only consider 1D points (x) in this example since the implementation for y is the very same:
class NotificationProperty(property):
def __init__(self, fget=None, fset=None, fdel=None, doc=None, notify=None):
super().__init__(fget, fset, fdel, doc)
self.notify = notify
def __set_name__(self, owner, name):
self.name = name
def __set__(self, instance, val):
super().__set__(instance, val)
self.notify(instance, self.name, val)
# Should define similar methods for other attributes
# (see https://docs.python.org/3/howto/descriptor.html#properties).
def setter(self, fset):
return type(self)(self.fget, fset, self.fdel, self.__doc__, self.notify)
def notification_property(func):
from functools import partial
return partial(NotificationProperty, notify=func)
class SyncPoint:
def __init__(self, x, sync_with=None):
self.sync_with = sync_with
self.x = x
def sync(self, which, value):
if self.sync_with is not None:
obj, scale = self.sync_with
value = int(scale * value)
if getattr(obj, which) != value: # Check if already synced -> avoid RecursionError.
setattr(obj, which, value)
@notification_property(sync)
def x(self):
return self._x
@x.setter
def x(self, val):
self._x = val
class Block:
size = 40
def __init__(self, x=1):
self.pixel_position = SyncPoint(self.size * x)
self.block_position = SyncPoint(x, sync_with=(self.pixel_position, self.size))
self.pixel_position.sync_with = (self.block_position, 1/self.size)
block = Block(3)
print('block_pos: ', block.block_position.x) # block_pos: 3
print('pixel_pos: ', block.pixel_position.x) # pixel_pos: 120
block.block_position.x -= 1
print('block_pos: ', block.block_position.x) # block_pos: 2
print('pixel_pos: ', block.pixel_position.x) # pixel_pos: 80
block.pixel_position.x -= Block.size
print('block_pos: ', block.block_position.x) # block_pos: 1
print('pixel_pos: ', block.pixel_position.x) # pixel_pos: 40
x.setter(func)The following is a variation of the above code which let's you specify the function to be called for notifications during definition of x.setter. This might feel more intuitive since the notification happens on __set__ but in the end it's a matter of taste:
from functools import partial
class notification_property(property):
def __init__(self, fget=None, fset=None, fdel=None, doc=None, notify=None):
super().__init__(fget, fset, fdel, doc)
self.notify = notify
def __set_name__(self, owner, name):
self.name = name
def __set__(self, instance, val):
super().__set__(instance, val)
self.notify(instance, self.name, val)
# Should define similar methods for other attributes
# (see https://docs.python.org/3/howto/descriptor.html#properties).
def setter(self, func=None):
return partial(type(self), self.fget, fdel=self.fdel, doc=self.__doc__, notify=(func or self.notify))
class SyncPoint:
def __init__(self, x, sync_with=None):
self.sync_with = sync_with
self.x = x
def sync(self, which, value):
if self.sync_with is not None:
obj, scale = self.sync_with
value = int(scale * value)
if getattr(obj, which) != value: # Check if already synced -> avoid RecursionError.
setattr(obj, which, value)
@notification_property
def x(self):
return self._x
@x.setter(sync)
def x(self, val):
self._x = val