Getters and Setters in Python

Darren Jones

If you come from a language like Java or C++, then you’re probably used to writing getter and setter methods for every attribute in your classes. These methods allow you to access and mutate private attributes while maintaining encapsulation. In Python, you’ll typically expose attributes as part of your public API and use properties when you need attributes with functional behavior.

Even though properties are the Pythonic way to go, they can have some practical drawbacks. Because of this, you’ll find some situations where getters and setters are preferable over properties.

In this video course, you’ll:

  • Write getter and setter methods in your classes
  • Replace getter and setter methods with properties
  • Explore other tools to replace getter and setter methods in Python
  • Decide when setter and getter methods can be the right tool for the job

To get the most out of this course, you should be familiar with Python object-oriented programming. It’ll also be a plus if you have basic knowledge of Python properties and descriptors.

What’s Included:

  • 7 Lessons
  • Video Subtitles and Full Transcripts
  • 2 Downloadable Resources
  • Accompanying Text-Based Tutorial
  • Interactive Quiz to Check Your Progress
  • Q&A With Python Experts: Ask a Question
  • Certificate of Completion

Downloadable Resources:

Related Learning Paths:

About Darren Jones

With 20 years as a teacher of music technology, Darren is keen to bring his skills to the Python table.

» More about Darren

Each tutorial at Real Python is created by a team of developers so that it meets our high quality standards. The team members who worked on this tutorial are:

← Browse All Courses