[python] Python Variable Declaration

Learning Python, and has some basic doubts.

1.I have seen variable declaration (path here) as

class writer:
    path = ""

sometimes, no explicit declaration but initialize through __init__.

def __init__(self, name):
    self.name = name

I understand the purpose of __init__, but is it advisable to declare variable in any other functions.

2.How can I create variable to hold a custom type?

class writer:
    path = "" # string value
    customObj = ??

This might be 6 years late, but in Python 3.5 and above, you declare a variable type like this:

variable_name: type_name

or this:

variable_name # type: shinyType

So in your case(if you have a CustomObject class defined), you can do:

customObj: CustomObject

See this or that for more info.

For scoping purpose, I use:

custom_object = None

There's no need to declare new variables in Python. If we're talking about variables in functions or modules, no declaration is needed. Just assign a value to a name where you need it: mymagic = "Magic". Variables in Python can hold values of any type, and you can't restrict that.

Your question specifically asks about classes, objects and instance variables though. The idiomatic way to create instance variables is in the __init__ method and nowhere else — while you could create new instance variables in other methods, or even in unrelated code, it's just a bad idea. It'll make your code hard to reason about or to maintain.

So for example:

class Thing(object):

    def __init__(self, magic):
        self.magic = magic

Easy. Now instances of this class have a magic attribute:

thingo = Thing("More magic")
# thingo.magic is now "More magic"

Creating variables in the namespace of the class itself leads to different behaviour altogether. It is functionally different, and you should only do it if you have a specific reason to. For example:

class Thing(object):

    magic = "Magic"

    def __init__(self):
        pass

Now try:

thingo = Thing()
Thing.magic = 1
# thingo.magic is now 1

Or:

class Thing(object):

    magic = ["More", "magic"]

    def __init__(self):
        pass

thing1 = Thing()
thing2 = Thing()
thing1.magic.append("here")
# thing1.magic AND thing2.magic is now ["More", "magic", "here"]

This is because the namespace of the class itself is different to the namespace of the objects created from it. I'll leave it to you to research that a bit more.

The take-home message is that idiomatic Python is to (a) initialise object attributes in your __init__ method, and (b) document the behaviour of your class as needed. You don't need to go to the trouble of full-blown Sphinx-level documentation for everything you ever write, but at least some comments about whatever details you or someone else might need to pick it up.

Variables have scope, so yes it is appropriate to have variables that are specific to your function. You don't always have to be explicit about their definition; usually you can just use them. Only if you want to do something specific to the type of the variable, like append for a list, do you need to define them before you start using them. Typical example of this.

list = []
for i in stuff:
  list.append(i)

By the way, this is not really a good way to setup the list. It would be better to say:

list = [i for i in stuff] # list comprehension

...but I digress.

Your other question. The custom object should be a class itself.

class CustomObject(): # always capitalize the class name...this is not syntax, just style.
  pass
customObj = CustomObject()