access modifiers – Private (implementation) class in Python
access modifiers – Private (implementation) class in Python
Use a single underscore prefix:
class _Internal:
...
This is the official Python convention for internal symbols; from module import * does not import underscore-prefixed objects.
Reference to the single underscore convention.
In short:
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You cannot enforce privacy. There are no private classes/methods/functions in Python. At least, not strict privacy as in other languages, such as Java.
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You can only indicate/suggest privacy. This follows a convention. The Python convention for marking a class/function/method as private is to preface it with an _ (underscore). For example,
def _myfunc()orclass _MyClass:. You can also create pseudo-privacy by prefacing the method with two underscores (for example,__foo). You cannot access the method directly, but you can still call it through a special prefix using the classname (for example,_classname__foo). So the best you can do is indicate/suggest privacy, not enforce it.
Python is like Perl in this respect. To paraphrase a famous line about privacy from the Perl book, the philosophy is that you should stay out of the living room because you werent invited, not because it is defended with a shotgun.
For more information:
- Private variables Python Documentation
- Why are Python’s ‘private’ methods not actually private? Stack Overflow question 70528
access modifiers – Private (implementation) class in Python
Define __all__, a list of names that you want to be exported (see documentation).
__all__ = [public_class] # dont add here the implementation_class