Class Basics in Python
From the Python cheat sheet · Classes & OOP · verified Jul 2026
Class Basics
Define classes with __init__, instance methods, and class/static methods.
python
class Dog:
species = "Canine" # Class variable
def __init__(self, name, age):
self.name = name # Instance variable
self.age = age
def bark(self):
return f"{self.name} says woof!"
rex = Dog("Rex", 5)
rex.bark() # "Rex says woof!"💡 Use @property to create computed attributes accessed without parentheses
⚡ @classmethod receives the class (cls) — great for alternative constructors
📌 @staticmethod receives neither self nor cls — it's just a namespaced function
🟢 Always define __repr__ for debugging — __str__ is for user-facing output
classesoopmethods