Python "protected" attributes

Question

How do I access a private attribute of a parent class from a subclass (without making it public)?

Answer 1

It is private. You can't access it.

Answer 2

Make an accessor method, unless I am missing something:

def get_private_attrib(self):
  return self.__privateWhatever

Answer 3

Yes I know it private, it private because there is no such thing as protected. Makes sense making a getter, seems the best thing to do...

Answer 4

if the variable name is "__secret" and the class name is "MyClass" you can access it like this on an instance named "var"

var._MyClass__secret

The convention to suggest/emulate protection is to name it with a leading underscore: self._protected_variable = 10

Of course, anybody can modify it if it really wants.

Answer 5

My understanding of Python convention is

• _member is protected
• __member is private

Options for if you control the parent class

• Make it protected instead of private since that seems like what you really want
• Use a getter (@property def _protected_access_to_member...) to limit the protected access

If you don't control it

• Undo the name mangling. If you dir(object) you will see names something like _Class__member which is what Python does to leading __ to "make it private". There isn't truly private in python. This is probably considered evil.