[python] Python class inherits object

Is there any reason for a class declaration to inherit from object?

I just found some code that does this and I can't find a good reason why.

class MyClass(object):
    # class code follows...

Python 3

• class MyClass(object): = New-style class
• class MyClass: = New-style class (implicitly inherits from object)

Python 2

• class MyClass(object): = New-style class
• class MyClass: = OLD-STYLE CLASS

Explanation:

When defining base classes in Python 3.x, you’re allowed to drop the object from the definition. However, this can open the door for a seriously hard to track problem…

Python introduced new-style classes back in Python 2.2, and by now old-style classes are really quite old. Discussion of old-style classes is buried in the 2.x docs, and non-existent in the 3.x docs.

The problem is, the syntax for old-style classes in Python 2.x is the same as the alternative syntax for new-style classes in Python 3.x. Python 2.x is still very widely used (e.g. GAE, Web2Py), and any code (or coder) unwittingly bringing 3.x-style class definitions into 2.x code is going to end up with some seriously outdated base objects. And because old-style classes aren’t on anyone’s radar, they likely won’t know what hit them.

So just spell it out the long way and save some 2.x developer the tears.

Yes, this is a 'new style' object. It was a feature introduced in python2.2.

New style objects have a different object model to classic objects, and some things won't work properly with old style objects, for instance, super(), @property and descriptors. See this article for a good description of what a new style class is.

SO link for a description of the differences: What is the difference between old style and new style classes in Python?

History from Learn Python the Hard Way:

Python's original rendition of a class was broken in many serious ways. By the time this fault was recognized it was already too late, and they had to support it. In order to fix the problem, they needed some "new class" style so that the "old classes" would keep working but you can use the new more correct version.

They decided that they would use a word "object", lowercased, to be the "class" that you inherit from to make a class. It is confusing, but a class inherits from the class named "object" to make a class but it's not an object really its a class, but don't forget to inherit from object.

Also just to let you know what the difference between new-style classes and old-style classes is, it's that new-style classes always inherit from object class or from another class that inherited from object:

class NewStyle(object):
    pass

Another example is:

class AnotherExampleOfNewStyle(NewStyle):
    pass

While an old-style base class looks like this:

class OldStyle():
    pass

And an old-style child class looks like this:

class OldStyleSubclass(OldStyle):
    pass

You can see that an Old Style base class doesn't inherit from any other class, however, Old Style classes can, of course, inherit from one another. Inheriting from object guarantees that certain functionality is available in every Python class. New style classes were introduced in Python 2.2

The syntax of the class creation statement:

class <ClassName>(superclass):
    #code follows

In the absence of any other superclasses that you specifically want to inherit from, the superclass should always be object, which is the root of all classes in Python.

object is technically the root of "new-style" classes in Python. But the new-style classes today are as good as being the only style of classes.

But, if you don't explicitly use the word object when creating classes, then as others mentioned, Python 3.x implicitly inherits from the object superclass. But I guess explicit is always better than implicit (hell)

Reference

Yes, it's historical. Without it, it creates an old-style class.

If you use type() on an old-style object, you just get "instance". On a new-style object you get its class.