Why doesn't __get__ method of metaclass get called? - python-3.x

Question

I got class Op:
class Pipeable(type):
def __get__(self, instance, owner):
def pipe_within(*args, **kwargs):
return self(*args, op=instance, **kwargs)
print('piping...')
return pipe_within
class Op(metaclass=Pipeable):
def __init__(self, op=None):
if op is not None:
print('piped!')
self.op = op
self.__dict__[type(self).__name__] = type(self)
I expect Op class itself to work as descriptor, because its metaclass has __get__ method, but the code
op = Op().Op()
doesn't invoke Op.__get__. Why?

Answer 1

It is hard to tell what you really want there. But a metaclass that would add a property to itself at every new class maybe works better for whatever you want.
As far as I can understand your code, older classes won't be populated with references to the newer ones, as you create new instances (that in turn, get the reference for others).
On a second though, dinamically creating properties inisde __new__ seems hacky - but you can just implement the metaclass __getattr__ and __dir__ methods for much less convoluted code:
The simple version works for classes, but not for their instances - because instances do not trigger the __getattr__ on the metaclass:
class Pipeable(type):
_classes = {}
def __new__(metacls, name, bases, namespace, **kwds):
cls = type.__new__(metacls, name, bases, namespace)
metacls._classes[name] = cls
return cls
def __getattr__(cls, attr):
classes = cls.__class__._classes
if attr not in classes:
raise AttributeError
def pipe_within(*args, **kwargs):
return cls(*args, op=classes[attr], **kwargs)
print('piping...')
return pipe_within
def __dir__(cls):
regular = super().__dir__()
return sorted(regular + list(cls.__class__._classes.keys()))
class Op(metaclass=Pipeable):
def __init__(self, op=None):
if op is not None:
print('piped!')
self.op = op
Op.Op()
(Note as well, that over time I picked this parameter naming convention to use on metaclasses - as most their methods take the class created with them in place of what is the "self" in ordinary classes, I find this naming easier to follow. It is not mandatory, not necessarily "correct", though)
But then, we can make it work for instances by creating the __dir__ and __getattr__ directly on the created classes as well. The catch with that is that the class you are creating already have a __getattr__ or custom __dir__, even in their super-classes, those have to be wrapped. And then, we don't want to re-wrap our own __dir__ and __getattr__, so some extra-care:
class Pipeable(type):
_classes = {}
def __new__(metacls, name, bases, namespace, **kwds):
cls = type.__new__(metacls, name, bases, namespace)
metacls._classes[name] = cls
original__getattr__ = getattr(cls, "__getattr__", None)
if hasattr(original__getattr__, "_metapipping"):
# Do not wrap our own (metaclass) implementation of __getattr__
original__getattr__ = None
original__dir__ = getattr(cls, "__dir__") # Exists in "object", so it is always found.
# these two functions have to be nested so they can get the
# values for the originals "__getattr__" and "__dir__" from
# the closure. These values could be set on the class created, alternatively.
def __getattr__(self, attr):
if original__getattr__:
# If it is desired that normal attribute lookup have
# less precedence than these injected operators
# move this "if" block down.
try:
value = original__getattr__(self, attr)
except AttributeError:
pass
else:
return value
classes = self.__class__.__class__._classes
if attr not in classes:
raise AttributeError
def pipe_within(*args, **kwargs):
return cls(*args, op=classes[attr], **kwargs)
print('piping...')
return pipe_within
__getattr__._pipping = True
def __dir__(self):
regular = original__dir__(self)
return sorted(regular + list(self.__class__.__class__._classes.keys()))
__dir__.pipping = True
if not original__getattr__ or not hasattr(original__getattr__, "_pipping"):
cls.__getattr__ = __getattr__
if not hasattr(original__dir__, "_pipping"):
cls.__dir__ = __dir__
return cls
def __getattr__(cls, attr):
classes = cls.__class__._classes
if attr not in classes:
raise AttributeError
def pipe_within(*args, **kwargs):
return cls(*args, op=classes[attr], **kwargs)
print('piping...')
return pipe_within
__getattr__._metapipping = True
def __dir__(cls):
regular = super().__dir__()
return sorted(regular + list(cls.__class__._classes.keys()))
class Op(metaclass=Pipeable):
def __init__(self, op=None):
if op is not None:
print('piped!')
Op().Op()
So, this ended up being lengthy - but it "does the right thing", by ensuring all classes and instances in the hierarchy can see each other, regardless of creation order.
Also, what make up for the complexity is correctly wrapping other possible customizations of __getattr__ and __dir__ in the class hierarchy - if you don't get any customization of those, this can be an order of magnitude simpler:
class Pipeable(type):
_classes = {}
def __new__(metacls, name, bases, namespace, **kwds):
cls = type.__new__(metacls, name, bases, namespace)
metacls._classes[name] = cls
def __getattr__(self, attr):
classes = self.__class__.__class__._classes
if attr not in classes:
raise AttributeError
def pipe_within(*args, **kwargs):
return cls(*args, op=classes[attr], **kwargs)
print('piping...')
return pipe_within
def __dir__(self):
regular = original__dir__(self)
return sorted(regular + list(self.__class__.__class__._classes.keys()))
cls.__getattr__ = __getattr__
cls.__dir__ = __dir__
return cls
def __getattr__(cls, attr):
classes = cls.__class__._classes
if attr not in classes:
raise AttributeError
def pipe_within(*args, **kwargs):
return cls(*args, op=classes[attr], **kwargs)
print('piping...')
return pipe_within
def __dir__(cls):
regular = super().__dir__()
return sorted(regular + list(cls.__class__._classes.keys()))

Answer 2

To get into work, descriptor must be class attribute, not that of instance.
This code does what was desired.
class Pipeable(type):
_instances = {}
def __new__(cls, name, bases, namespace, **kwds):
namespace.update(cls._instances)
instance = type.__new__(cls, name, bases, namespace)
cls._instances[name] = instance
for inst in cls._instances:
setattr(inst, name, instance)
return instance
def __get__(self, instance, owner):
def pipe_within(*args, **kwargs):
return self(*args, op=instance, **kwargs)
print('piping...')
return pipe_within
class Op(metaclass=Pipeable):
def __init__(self, op=None):
if op is not None:
print('piped!')
self.op = op
Op().Op()