Python read-only property

Generally, Python programs should be written with the assumption that all users are consenting adults, and thus are responsible for using things correctly themselves. However, in the rare instance where it just does not make sense for an attribute to be settable (such as a derived value, or a value read from some static datasource), the getter-only property is generally the preferred pattern.

Just my two cents, Silas Ray is on the right track, however I felt like adding an example. ;-)

Python is a type-unsafe language and thus you'll always have to trust the users of your code to use the code like a reasonable (sensible) person.

Per PEP 8:

Use one leading underscore only for non-public methods and instance variables.

To have a 'read-only' property in a class you can make use of the @property decoration, you'll need to inherit from object when you do so to make use of the new-style classes.

Example:

>>> class A(object):
...     def __init__(self, a):
...         self._a = a
...
...     @property
...     def a(self):
...         return self._a
... 
>>> a = A('test')
>>> a.a
'test'
>>> a.a = 'pleh'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
AttributeError: can't set attribute

Here is a way to avoid the assumption that

all users are consenting adults, and thus are responsible for using things correctly themselves.

please see my update below

Using @property, is very verbose e.g.:

   class AClassWithManyAttributes:
        '''refactored to properties'''
        def __init__(a, b, c, d, e ...)
             self._a = a
             self._b = b
             self._c = c
             self.d = d
             self.e = e

        @property
        def a(self):
            return self._a
        @property
        def b(self):
            return self._b
        @property
        def c(self):
            return self._c
        # you get this ... it's long

Using

No underscore: it's a public variable.
One underscore: it's a protected variable.
Two underscores: it's a private variable.

Except the last one, it's a convention. You can still, if you really try hard, access variables with double underscore.

So what do we do? Do we give up on having read only properties in Python?

Behold! read_only_properties decorator to the rescue!

@read_only_properties('readonly', 'forbidden')
class MyClass(object):
    def __init__(self, a, b, c):
        self.readonly = a
        self.forbidden = b
        self.ok = c

m = MyClass(1, 2, 3)
m.ok = 4
# we can re-assign a value to m.ok
# read only access to m.readonly is OK 
print(m.ok, m.readonly) 
print("This worked...")
# this will explode, and raise AttributeError
m.forbidden = 4

You ask:

Where is read_only_properties coming from?

Glad you asked, here is the source for read_only_properties:

def read_only_properties(*attrs):

    def class_rebuilder(cls):
        "The class decorator"

        class NewClass(cls):
            "This is the overwritten class"
            def __setattr__(self, name, value):
                if name not in attrs:
                    pass
                elif name not in self.__dict__:
                    pass
                else:
                    raise AttributeError("Can't modify {}".format(name))

                super().__setattr__(name, value)
        return NewClass
    return class_rebuilder

update

I never expected this answer will get so much attention. Surprisingly it does. This encouraged me to create a package you can use.

$ pip install read-only-properties

in your python shell:

In [1]: from rop import read_only_properties

In [2]: @read_only_properties('a')
   ...: class Foo:
   ...:     def __init__(self, a, b):
   ...:         self.a = a
   ...:         self.b = b
   ...:         

In [3]: f=Foo('explodes', 'ok-to-overwrite')

In [4]: f.b = 5

In [5]: f.a = 'boom'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AttributeError                            Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-5-a5226072b3b4> in <module>()
----> 1 f.a = 'boom'

/home/oznt/.virtualenvs/tracker/lib/python3.5/site-packages/rop.py in __setattr__(self, name, value)
    116                     pass
    117                 else:
--> 118                     raise AttributeError("Can't touch {}".format(name))
    119 
    120                 super().__setattr__(name, value)

AttributeError: Can't touch a