doctests = """ Basic class construction. >>> class C: ... def meth(self): print("Hello") ... >>> C.__class__ is type True >>> a = C() >>> a.__class__ is C True >>> a.meth() Hello >>> Use *args notation for the bases. >>> class A: pass >>> class B: pass >>> bases = (A, B) >>> class C(*bases): pass >>> C.__bases__ == bases True >>> Use a trivial metaclass. >>> class M(type): ... pass ... >>> class C(metaclass=M): ... def meth(self): print("Hello") ... >>> C.__class__ is M True >>> a = C() >>> a.__class__ is C True >>> a.meth() Hello >>> Use **kwds notation for the metaclass keyword. >>> kwds = {'metaclass': M} >>> class C(**kwds): pass ... >>> C.__class__ is M True >>> a = C() >>> a.__class__ is C True >>> Use a metaclass with a __prepare__ static method. >>> class M(type): ... @staticmethod ... def __prepare__(*args, **kwds): ... print("Prepare called:", args, kwds) ... return dict() ... def __new__(cls, name, bases, namespace, **kwds): ... print("New called:", kwds) ... return type.__new__(cls, name, bases, namespace) ... >>> class C(metaclass=M): ... def meth(self): print("Hello") ... Prepare called: ('C', ()) {} New called: {} >>> Also pass another keyword. >>> class C(object, metaclass=M, other="haha"): ... pass ... Prepare called: ('C', (,)) {'other': 'haha'} New called: {'other': 'haha'} >>> C.__class__ is M True >>> C.__bases__ == (object,) True >>> a = C() >>> a.__class__ is C True >>> Check that build_class doesn't mutate the kwds dict. >>> kwds = {'metaclass': type} >>> class C(**kwds): pass ... >>> kwds == {'metaclass': type} True >>> Use various combinations of explicit keywords and **kwds. >>> bases = (object,) >>> kwds = {'metaclass': M, 'other': 'haha'} >>> class C(*bases, **kwds): pass ... Prepare called: ('C', (,)) {'other': 'haha'} New called: {'other': 'haha'} >>> C.__class__ is M True >>> C.__bases__ == (object,) True >>> class B: pass >>> kwds = {'other': 'haha'} >>> class C(B, metaclass=M, *bases, **kwds): pass ... Prepare called: ('C', (, )) {'other': 'haha'} New called: {'other': 'haha'} >>> C.__class__ is M True >>> C.__bases__ == (B, object) True >>> Check for duplicate keywords. >>> class C(metaclass=type, metaclass=type): pass ... Traceback (most recent call last): [...] TypeError: __build_class__() got multiple values for keyword argument 'metaclass' >>> Another way. >>> kwds = {'metaclass': type} >>> class C(metaclass=type, **kwds): pass ... Traceback (most recent call last): [...] TypeError: __build_class__() got multiple values for keyword argument 'metaclass' >>> Use a __prepare__ method that returns an instrumented dict. >>> class LoggingDict(dict): ... def __setitem__(self, key, value): ... print("d[%r] = %r" % (key, value)) ... dict.__setitem__(self, key, value) ... >>> class Meta(type): ... @staticmethod ... def __prepare__(name, bases): ... return LoggingDict() ... >>> class C(metaclass=Meta): ... foo = 2+2 ... foo = 42 ... bar = 123 ... d['__module__'] = 'test.test_metaclass' d['foo'] = 4 d['foo'] = 42 d['bar'] = 123 >>> Use a metaclass that doesn't derive from type. >>> def meta(name, bases, namespace, **kwds): ... print("meta:", name, bases) ... print("ns:", sorted(namespace.items())) ... print("kw:", sorted(kwds.items())) ... return namespace ... >>> class C(metaclass=meta): ... a = 42 ... b = 24 ... meta: C () ns: [('__module__', 'test.test_metaclass'), ('a', 42), ('b', 24)] kw: [] >>> type(C) is dict True >>> print(sorted(C.items())) [('__module__', 'test.test_metaclass'), ('a', 42), ('b', 24)] >>> And again, with a __prepare__ attribute. >>> def prepare(name, bases, **kwds): ... print("prepare:", name, bases, sorted(kwds.items())) ... return LoggingDict() ... >>> meta.__prepare__ = prepare >>> class C(metaclass=meta, other="booh"): ... a = 1 ... a = 2 ... b = 3 ... prepare: C () [('other', 'booh')] d['__module__'] = 'test.test_metaclass' d['a'] = 1 d['a'] = 2 d['b'] = 3 meta: C () ns: [('__module__', 'test.test_metaclass'), ('a', 2), ('b', 3)] kw: [('other', 'booh')] >>> """ __test__ = {'doctests' : doctests} def test_main(verbose=False): from test import test_support from test import test_metaclass test_support.run_doctest(test_metaclass, verbose) if __name__ == "__main__": test_main(verbose=True)