Setting initial instance parameter using a class method

Question

I have this code:

import random

class Player:

    def __init__(self):
        self.first_name = set_first_name()

    def set_first_name(self)
        List = open("player/first_names.txt").readlines()
        self.first_name = random.choice(List)

As you can see, I would like to set first name randomly from a text file. But I receive this error:

def set_first_name(self) ^ SyntaxError: invalid syntax

I assume it is not possible to call a class method within the initialisation of a class instance. At least not the way I am doing it. Could sombody give me a quick hint? I suppose there is an easy fix to this.

Thanks

You missed `:` after `def set_first_name(self)` – Yaroslav Surzhikov Oct 14 '17 at 09:14 — Yaroslav Surzhikov, Oct 14 '17 at 09:14
Oh man. Thanks and sorry for the spam. – Maximilian A. Graves Oct 14 '17 at 09:18 — Maximilian A. Graves, Oct 14 '17 at 09:18

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 14 '17 at 09:14

1

Your method is not a class method, you are simply missing the semi-colon from the end of your def line of the set_first_name method.

answered Oct 14 '17 at 09:14

Stuart Buckingham

1,574
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1

No problem. Please upvote and accept as answer if it helped. – Stuart Buckingham Oct 14 '17 at 09:19
1

Also, beware of using the term 'class method'. It refers to a specific way of calliing a method. Info is here https://stackoverflow.com/q/12179271/4047084 if you're interested. – Stuart Buckingham Oct 14 '17 at 09:20

Yaroslav Surzhikov · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-14T09:24:54.307

1

First of all as was allready mentioned - you missed : in define line. Second: even if you fix that - you will get NameError because set_first_name is not in global scope. And for last - set_first_name doesn't returns anything, so you will get first_name as None.

Assuming that, right version of your code should look like:

import random

class Player:

    def __init__(self):
        self.first_name = self.set_first_name()

    @staticmethod
    def set_first_name():
        List = open("player/first_names.txt").readlines()
        return random.choice(List)

edited Oct 14 '17 at 09:24

answered Oct 14 '17 at 09:19

Yaroslav Surzhikov

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Thanks Yaroslav. I did your changes. After adding "self" as argument to set_first_name(), then it works perfectly. Thanks! – Maximilian A. Graves Oct 14 '17 at 09:39

Setting initial instance parameter using a class method

2 Answers2