Call Python's super() from R

These functions provide access to Python's built-in super() mechanism from within R, making it easier to work with Python class inheritance when defining classes via reticulate::PyClass() or py_class().

Usage

py_super(type, object_or_type)

py_super_init(...)

Arguments

type

Optional. The class or __class__ symbol, for advanced two-argument super() usage. Ignored if missing.

object_or_type

Optional. Typically self, for advanced two-argument super() usage. Ignored if missing.

...

Arguments to pass to the superclass initializer (for py_super_init() only).

Value

• py_super() returns a Python object proxy to the superclass.

• py_super_init() returns NULL invisibly (or reticulate::py_none() if convert = FALSE), called for side effects.

Details

• py_super() returns a proxy to the superclass of the current object, equivalent to Python's super(). It can be used in two forms:

  • py_super() (no arguments): behaves like super() with implicit resolution provided by reticulate.

  • py_super(type, object_or_type) (two arguments): advanced usage equivalent to super(type, object_or_type) in Python, e.g. py_super(A, self) or py_super(__class__, self).

• py_super_init() directly calls the superclass initializer, equivalent to super().__init__(...). Unlike py_super(), it always refers to the next class in the MRO and does not accept type arguments.

While reticulate internally injects a zero-argument super() reference into class methods, this re-export makes the functionality explicit and convenient for user code.

Examples

if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
Employee <- py_class(
  "Employee",
  `__init__` = function(self, name, id) {
    self$name <- name
    self$id <- id
    return(py_builtins$None)
  }
)

Salary <- py_class(
  "Salary", inherit = Employee,
  `__init__` = function(self, name, id, salary) {
    # Option A: use implicit super
    py_super()$`__init__`(name, id)

    # Option B: use advanced two-argument super
    # py_super(Salary, self)$`__init__`(name, id)

    # Option C: use py_super_init()
    # py_super_init(name, id)

    self$salary <- salary
    return(py_builtins$None)
  }
)
} # }