Chapter 6. Classes

This chapter explores the Python class—a device used to implement new kinds of objects in Python. Classes are Python's main object-oriented programming (OOP) tool, so we'll also look at OOP basics along the way in this chapter. In Python, classes are created with a new statement we'll meet here too: the class statement. As we'll see, objects defined with classes can look a lot like the built-in types we saw earlier in the book.

One note up front: Python OOP is entirely optional, and you don't need to use classes just to get started. In fact, you can get plenty of work done with simpler constructs such as functions. But classes turn out to be one of the most useful tools Python provides, and we hope to show you why here. They're also employed in popular Python tools like the Tkinter GUI API, so most Python programmers will usually find at least a working knowledge of class basics helpful.